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JHacmillan’s American anti ISngli'g]^ 

Classics. "p *2. 3 
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A Series of English Texts, edited for use in Secondary 
Schools, with Critical Introductions, Notes, etc. 


l6mo. Levanteen. 25c. each. 


Addison’s Sir Roger de Coverley. 

Browning’s Shorter Poems. 

Burke’s Speech on Conciliation. 

Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. 

Carlyle’s Essay on Burns. 

Coleridge’s The Ancient Mariner. 

Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans. 

De Quincey’s Confessions of an Opium-Eater. 
Dryden’s Palamon and Arcite. 

Eliot’s Silas Marner. 

Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield. 

Irving’s The Alhambra. 

Longfellow’s Evangeline. 

Lowell’s The Vision of Sir Launfal. 

Macaulay’s Essay on Addison. 

Macaulay’s Essay on Milton. 

I Macaulay’s Essay on Warren Hastings. 
Milton’s Comus, Lycidas, and Other Poems. 
Milton’s Paradise Lost, Books 1 and II. 

Pope’s Homer’s Iliad. 

Ruskin’s Sesame and Lilies. 

Scott’s Ivanhoe. 

Scott’s The Lady of the Lake. 

Scott’s Marm'on. 

Selections from the Southern Poets. 
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. 

Shakespeare’s Macbeth. 

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. 
Shelley and Keats; Poems. 

Tennyson’s Idylls of the King. 

Tennyson’s The Princess. 


OTHERS TO FOLLOW. 


JAMES FENIMORE COOPER 



In the year in which The S2oy appeared a writer in the 
North American Review declared that its author had “laid tie 
foundation of American romance,” and the mature judgment of 
later years has confirmed the statement. Cooper was not a 
great writer by virtue of a powerful intellectual personality or a 
sensitive artistic temperament ; but he was a man of force, in 
the possession of a new field, and he had the insight to discern 
the resources of that field, and to use them with a certain large, 
simple, and genuine effectiveness. He was not a master of the 
secrets of fate as they lurk in temperament and in the inter- 
play of tragic conditions ; he lacked the deftness and subtlety 
of the best modern writers of fiction ; he had not the magic of 
style ; his range of characters was limited ; he is verbose, 
diffuse, and at times tedious ; but he has written eight or ten 
stories which are still read over a large part of the civilized 
world, and to the little group which the American imagination 
has added to the figures of romance, poetry, and legendary story, 
he has contributed Leather stocking^ Natty Bumppo, Harvey 
Birch, Ijong Tom Coffin, Uncas, and Chingachgook. 

Such an achievement involves original power, as well as 
auspicious opportunity; and Cooper’s obvious limitations and 
faults do not obscure his real gifts, nor do the radical changes 
of literary manner discredit his genuine power of expression, 


V 


VI 


INTRODUCTION 


He was a man of action rather than of meditation, and he came 
at a time when the material and the taste for the story of action 
in this country were coincident. He was by nature eminently 
fitted to feel the charm of the semi-legendary traditions and novel 
conditions of a new country ; the possibilities of adventure and of 
a free, unconditional life which it afforded to men of spirit. His 
faults were inherent in his strength ; he had the directness, vigor, 
decision, the touch of intellectual narrowness, the defective sym- 
pathy, the impatience of criticism, which are often characteristic 
of men of strong will, deep feeling, and an instinctive passion for 
action. 

Cooper came of good English stock, his ancestor having re- 
moved from Warwickshire to New Jersey a century before the 
novelist’s birth. In 1789, when James Fenimore appeared on 
the scene, his father was on the point of moving to the beauti- 
ful country which will always be associated with his name. 
The new home which was to bear that name was then in the 
heart of the wilderness, and the surroundings of liis boyhood 
nourished tlie imagination and stored the memory of the future 
novelist. The family life was dignified, almost opulent, judged 
by the standard of the time ; for Otsego Hall was a kind of 
manor house, and Judge William Cooper an excellent type of 
the English squire. Travellers from the great world found their 
way to the spacious and hospitable home, and one of the most 
famous of them, Talleyrand, in some versified advice to Miss 
Anna Cooper, incidentally remarked, “ Otsego n’est pas gai.” 
Gay 'it probably was not; but it was near enough to the un- 
trodden wilderness, to the perils of savage inroad, and to the 
wild history of exploration and settlement, to set the boy’s 
pulses beating. He grew up, as did his great contemporary, 


INTRODUCTION 


vii 

Walter Scott, in the atmosphere most favorable for the unfold- 
ing of his genius. He made the acquaintance of the woods at 
the only period in which a man ever becomes really intimate 
with nature ; the Indian, the trapper, and the huntsman he 
knew while these types of colonial life were still contempora- 
neous ; his knowledge of the sea was to come later, but not too 
late for the freest use by his imagination. 

An Academy was promptly founded at Cooperstown, but its 
facilities were necessarily limited, and the boy was placed in 
the family of an Episcopal clergyman in the neighboring city 
of Albany to secure proper preparations for College. At the 
age of thirteen Cooper joined the class of 1806 in Yale College. 
His tastes, rather than the prescribed tasks which the College 
set out for his instruction, engrossed his attention, and he gave 
to the out-of-door world about Hew Haven more time than to 
the indoor occupations which had a superior claim upon him. 
This attitude toward the regular work of the College did not 
predispose his instructors in his favor, and his connection with 
a student frolic in his junior year brouglit his College career to a 
sudden and premature close. It is idle to speculate about such 
a matter, but it seems probable that the drill to which Cooper 
objected would have been of value to a man whose chief defect 
in later life was lack of disciplined self-control. 

The real education of the author of The Deerslayer and The 
Pilot was to be gained, however, in the woods and on the sea ; 
the woods had already taken him into the most friendly rela- 
tions, and the sea was now to serve its turn in his development. 
In 1806, when he ought to have been graduating with his class. 
Cooper was in the forecastle of the ship Sterling bound for 
Cowes. After a year’s service on a merchant vessel, during 


X 


INTRODUCTION 


was meditating Bracehridge Hall. Miss Sedgwick, about the i 
same time, made her first essay in that charming series of works 
of domestic life in New England which have gained her so high 
a reputation. ... I have a copy of Halleck’s Fanny pub- 
lished in the same year ; ... it was in that year that I timidly 
trusted to the winds and waves of public opinion a small cargo 
of my own — a poem entitled The Ages, and half a dozen 
shorter ones, in a thin duodecimo volume.” 

Cooper not only wrote the first American novel of enduring 
interest and value, but he succeeded in three very different fields : 
the semi-historical, the sea story, and the story of Indian life. 

In The Spy he struck a chord which instantly vibrated to his 
touch. The long and painful struggle with the mother country 
was not much farther removed from the men of 1821 than is 
the Civil War from the men of to-day. The experiences of 
those trying years had been somewhat softened by time, but 
they were still fresh in memory. What they had lost in vivid- 
ness they had gained in heightened color and romantic interest ; 
for the years which followed the Revolution were marked by an 
intense and, in some cases, unwarranted idealization of incidents 
and actors. The country was still young ; it was distant not 
only in space, but in time, from the Old World, and it was 
sensitive to the contempt or indifference which it received from 
the majority of its critics beyond the sea. It held, therefore, 
with deeper tenacity to its own traditions and gave its heroes of 
the war for independence heroic proportions and epic dignity. 
Into this field, so near and so dear to the heart of the young 
nation. Cooper entered without realizing the depth of appeal 
to the popular imagination which the very materials he used 
would make. That appeal found instant response, and brought 


INTRODUCTION 


XI 


him not only popularity but fame; which is a very different 
matter. The Spy was cordially received in England, and en- 
thusiastically welcomed in France ; it was speedily translated 
in every language spoken by cultivated races, and it is still 
more widely read and more generally known than any other 
American novel. For a time Uncle Tom's. Cabin had a wider 
reading in Europe ; but with the subsidence of interest' in the 
slavery question The Spy has regained its preeminence in foreign 
interest. Harvey Birch is probably the best known character 
in our fiction ; he is certainly one of the most characteristically 
American figures in that fiction. The humble pedler, with his 
passionate love of country, his incorruptibility in the face of 
insidious temptation, his gallantry, his cool resourcefulness and 
the tragic interest of his lonely and misunderstood career, is 
drawn with a bold, free hand. It was a fine instinct which 
led. Cooper to identify the loftiest patriotism with the most 
tiumble conditions, and to shed upon poverty and obscurity the 
light which the older romance had shed chiefly upon great 
stations and romantic surroundings. The novel discloses the 
strength and weakness of Cooper’s art ; his vigorous delineation, 
his broad and effective simplicity, his vigor and rapidity of narra- 
tive movement, and his obvious sincerity. It also reveals his care- 
lessness, his indifference to the finer resources of English prose, his 
prolixity, his superficial knowledge of and unemotional attitude 
toward women, and his occasional tediousness or flatness of tone. 

The success of The Spy determined the course of its author, 
and the decade between 1820 and 1830 was the happiest and 
most productive period of his life ; of the eleven stories which 
he published during these years only one failed of instant and 
enduring success. In The Sjoy he dealt with an American 


Xll 


INTRODUCTION 


background and character in an American spirit ; in The 
Pioneers, which appeared in 1823, he drew still nearer his 
material and dealt with a country and a life which he knew at 
first hand. The Pioneers was the first of the Leather Stock- 
ing Tales which have become part of the educational capital of 
the country ; so picturesquely do they portray one of the most 
characteristic and heroic phases of early American life. Thej 
Spy was the first novel which drew its materials from Ameri- 
can history ; The Pioneers was the earliest story of frontier 
life, the first novel of adventure with an American back- 
ground. Waverley, the forerunner of the most widely read 
series of novels in our language, appeared in 1814, and had 
been followed before 1820 by eight kindred tales, Ivanhoe 
crossing the border and taking England by storm in the year i 
which Precaution saw the light. Cooper, who was ofte» 
called “the American Scott,” was in no sense an imitator, i.but 
his great contemporary’s success in dealing with semi-historicaJ 
material and with the heroic life of his country undoubtedly 
opened the eyes of the American novelist to the rich material I 
close at hand. His ^success with the semi-historical tale w^as j 
followed by a kindred success with the tale of incident and i 
adventure. The life described in The Pioneers was new to the 
Old World, and had become a tradition in the older sections of ^ 
the New World. It was rich in heroic incident, in the primary / 
qualities of courage, resourcefulness, and fidelity of man to man ; | 
it was full of striking contrasts to the life of the Old World 1 
in incident and character. The Pioneers had, therefore, the I 
great charm of novelty ; it was the work of a new mind in a! 
fresh field. It was followed in 1826 and 1827 by The Last of \ 
the Mohicans and The Prairie, and in 1840 and 1841 by The j 


INTRODUCTION 


xiii 

Pathfinder and The Deerslayer ; the series in chronological order 
from The Deer day er to The Prairie presenting a loosely con- 
nected study of frontier life in its various stages from the 
Hudson River to the Rocky Mountains. Of the series The Last 
of the Mohicans has been the most popular because of the 
picturesqueness of its background and the dramatic character of 
its incidents, but The Pathfinder and The Deerslayer are the 
most artistic ; they represent Cooper’s work, both in construc- 
tion and style, at its best. 

When The Pirate appeared in 1821 the authorship of the 
Waverley Novels was still a well-kept secret so far as the pub- 
lic was concerned. At a dinner in New York in 1822 it was 
argued that Scott could not be the author of the new story 
because he had had no opportunity of gaining that intimate 
and accurate knowledge of the sea which The Pirate showed. 
Cooper, who was present, declared his conviction that Scott’s 
hand was plainly discernible in a tale which was accurate 
enough so far as details went, but which distinctly failed 
through lack of first-hand knowledge of the life described, to 
make the most effective use of the adventurous life of the sea. 
He did not convince his listeners, and to satisfy himself wrote 
and published, in 1823, The Pilots the earliest sea story in our 
literature, and still the best. Long Tom Coffin stands out as 
distinctly in the sea tales as Leatherstocking and Natty 
Bumppo in the tales of the frontier. The success of this ven- 
ture in a new field was immediate, and it is still one of the 
most widely read of American stories. It was followed in 1829 
by The Red Rover ^ and by The Two Admirals^ and Wing-and- 
Wing in 1842. The remaining sea tales, six in number, are 
inferior in quality and interest. 


XIV 


INTRODUCTION 


In 1826 Cooper went abroad and did not return until nearl} 
eight years later, spending most of this time in France, bui 
visiting many countries and meeting many representative men 
He was at the height of a reputation at home and abroad 
which no later American writer has secured ; in England he 
was very generally read, though Irving was probably bettei 
liked ; on the Continent he held his own with Scott. The 
sweetness of popularity was not, however, without its dash o] 
bitterness. The novelist was fast destroying the slavish intel- 
lectual deference of America to Europe, but Europe did not 
recognize the dawn of intellectual independence beyond the sea. 
The ignorance of American life even among cultivated Euro-^ 

^ peans, was not only general but profound, and the attitude ol 
' the Old World to the New was one of entire indifference or of 
somewhat insolent superciliousness. Cooper, although an aris- 
tocrat by instinct and taste, was a thorough democrat by con- 
viction and sympathy ; he was courageous, generous, and frank 
to a fault ; but he was also combative, violent, and irascible.' 
His indignation at the general attitude toward this country wa^i 
highly creditable ; no self-respecting American could have felt 
otherwise; but his manner of meeting it was injudicious and 
' ineffective. Instead of using the weapons of wit and sarcasm, 

• which Lowell employed later in the same cause with eminent 
|| success, Cooper lost his temper and fell upon his adversaries} 

' f.with the quarter-staff of denunciation. Ignorance must bt| 
fought with weapons of edge rather than of weight, and the 
Damascus blade was not fitted to Cooper’s hand. 

In 1833, the novelist returned to his own country to find 
that great changes had taken place in the rapidly growing 
communities which he had formerly known so well, and thes^ 


INTRODUCriON 


XV 


changes were not to his mind. The rule of the dignified old 
society, which had long pursued the social traditions of colonial 
times, had given way before the rapid rise of a new set of 
social leaders with larger fortunes and less regard for breeding. 
The warm-tempered and ardent patriot, who had defended his 
country abroad with more courage than discretion, now began 
to criticise his countrymen with more frankness than tact. He 
had the highest ideals of public service and of private manners, 
and he saw signs of deterioration in both directions ; what he 
did not recognize was the inevitableness of the social changes 
going on about him and the ultimate gain involved in them. 
In his conception, a patriot was one who not only loved his 
country, but told the truth about her. His criticism was 
perfectly sincere and most of it was deserved ; but it was some- 
what unsympathetic, and it lacked insight of the deeper sort. 
It naturally irritated those who felt themselves attacked, it was 
sharply resented, it called out in some quarters vulgar and un- 
scrupulous attacks on* the critic, and it cost Cooper his popularity. 
This experience developed the fighting instinct in the novelist and 
led him into various ill-advised controversies and a number of law- 
suits with leading newspapers. In many of these suits he was 
successful, but his victory was a barren one ; he silenced all criti- 
cism of his character or motives, but he sacrificed a great 
influence, he lost many friends, he embittered years which 
ought to have brought him the sweetest fruits of fame, and he 
acquired “the reputation of a proud, captious, censorious, 
arbitrary, dogmatical, malicious, illiberal, revengeful, and liti- 
gious man.” 

His productive power was not diminished by these hard- 
fought battles with the newspapers ; novels came in full stream 


XVI 


INTRODUCTION 


from his hand ; his History of the United States Navy, appeared 
in 1839; his last story was written after he had passed his 
sixtieth year. His domestic life was as serene, tender, and 
beautiful as his public life was tumultuous, polemical, and 
passionate. His home at Cooperstown was a place of un- 
broken peace through all the storms of his later career. 

' Toward the close of his life the animosities he had aroused 
began to lose heat, popularity returned to him, and his death 
on the 14th of September, 1851, was the occasion of a very 
warm expression of public regard and loss. 

At the end of half a century. Cooper is still widely read 
at home and abroad in spite of the fact that his methods 
are old-fashioned, and that his style suffers by comparison with 
the skill of later writers of fiction. He will always suggest 
Scott because he followed so closely upon Scott’s steps, not 
iniitatively but because they led in the only direction in which 
he could go. He had less range than Scott, less insight into 
character and life, and far less humor ;* but he had equal 
narrative skill and greater skill in sketching in background 
of scenery and landscape. “ If Cooper had succeeded in the 
painting of character to the same extent that he did in the 
painting of the phenomena of nature,” wrote Balzac, “he would 
have uttered the last word of our art.” That word he did not 
utter, for although a genuine and individual force in literature, 
he was not a great artist ; he lacked the imagination, the 
insight, the unerring skill of the creative writer. His place 
in our literature is secure because he led the way in three 
new fields, he dealt at first hand with fresh and characteristic 
material, he had genuine narrative and dramatic gifts, and his 
work bears the marks of sanity and health. 


THE DEERSLAYER' 



CHAPTER I 


“ There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, f . > 

There is a rapture on the lonely shore. 

There is society where none intrudes, 

By the deep sea, and music in its roar: ■.> 

I love not man the less, but nature more. 

From these our interviews, in which I steal 
From all I may be, or have been before. 

To mingle with the universe, and feel 
What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.” 

Childe Harold. 

On the human imagination events produce the effects of time. 
Thus, he who has travelled far and seen much is apt to fancy 
that he has lived long ; and the history that most abounds in 
important incidents soonest assumes the aspect of antiquity. In 
no other way can we account for the venerable air that is already 
gathering around American annals. When the mind reverts to 
the earliest days of colonial history, the period seems remote and 
obscure, the thousand changes that thicken along the links of 
recollections, throwing back the origin of the nation to a day so 
distant as seemingly to reach the mists of time ; and yet four 
lives of ordinary duration would suffice to transmit, from mouth 
to mouth, in the form of tradition, all that civilized man has 
achieved within the limits of the republic. Although New York 

1 


B 


2 


THE DEERSLAYER 


alone possesses a population materially exceeding that of either 
of the four smallest kingdoms of Europe, or materially exceeding 
that of the entire Swiss Confederation, it is little more than two 
centuries since the Dutch commenced their settlement®, rescuing 
the region from the savage state. Thus, what seems venerable 
by an accumulation of changes is reduced to familiarity when we 
come seriously to consider it solely in connection with time. 

This glance into the perspective of the past will prepare the 
reader to look g.t the pictures we are about to sketch, with less 
surprise than he might otherwise feel ; and a few additional 
explanations may carry him back in imagination to the precise 
condition of society that we desire to delineate. It is matter 
of history that the settlements on the eastern shores of the Hud- 
son, such as Claverack, Kinderhook, and even Poughkeepsie, 
were not regarded as safe from Indian incursions a century since ; 
and there is still standing on the banks of the same river, and 
within musket-shot of the wharves of Albany, a residence of a 
younger branch of the Van Rensselaers°,that has loopholes con- 
structed for defence against the same crafty enemy, although it 
dates from a period scarcely so distant. Other similar memori- 
als of the infancy of the country are to be found, scattered through 
what is now deemed the very centre of American civilization, 
affording the plainest proofs that all we possess of security from 
invasion and hostile violence is the growth of but little more 
than the time that is frequently filled by a single human life. 

The incidents of this tale occurred between the years 1740 
and 1745, when the settled portions of the colony of New York 
were confined to the four Atlantic counties, a narrow belt of 
country on each side of the Hudson, extending from its mouth 
to the falls near its head, and to a few advanced “ neighbor- 
hoods ” on the Mohawk and the Schoharie. Broad belts of the 
virgin wilderness not only reached the shores of the first river, 
but they even crossed it, stretching away into New England, and 
affording forest covers to the noiseless moccasin of the native 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


3 


warrior, as he trod the secret and bloody war-path. A bird’s- 
eye view of the whole region east of the Mississippi must then 
have offered one vast expanse of woods, relieved by a compara- 
tively narrow fringe of cultivation along the sea, dotted by the 
glittering surfaces of lakes, and intersected by the waving lines 
of river. In such a vast picture of solemn solitude, the district 
of country w^e design to paint sinks into insignificance, though 
we feel encouraged to proceed by the conviction that, with slight 
and immaterial distinctions, he who succeeds in giving an accu- 
rate idea of any portion of this wild region must necessarily con- 
vey a tolerably correct notion of the whole. 

Whatever may be the changes produced by man, the eternal 
round of the seasons is unbroken. Summer and winter, seed- 
time and harvest, return in their stated order with a sublime 
precision, affording to man one of the noblest of all the occasions 
he enjoys of proving the high powers of his far-reaching mind, 
in compassing the laws that control their exact uniformity, 
and in calculating their never-ending revolutions. Centuries of 
summer suns had warmed the tops of the same noble oaks and 
pines, sending their heats even to the tenacious roots, when 
voices were heard calling to each other, in the depths of a forest, 
of which the leafy surface lay bathed in the brilliant light of a 
cloudless day in June, while the trunks of the trees rose in 
gloomy grandeur in the shades beneath. The calls were in 
different tones, evidently proceeding from two men who had 
lost their way, and were searching in different directions for their 
path. At length a shout proclaimed success, and presently a 
man of gigantic mould broke out of the tangled labyrinth of a 
small swamp, emerging into an opening that appeared to have 
been formed partly by the ravages of the wind, and partly by 
those of fire. This little area, which afforded a good view of the 
sky, although it was pretty well filled with dead trees, lay on 
the side of one of the high hills, or low mountains, into which 
nearly the whole surface of the adjacent country was broken. 


4 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Here is room /to breathe in ! ” exclaimed the liberated 
forester, as soon as he found himself under a clear sky, shaking 
his huge frame like a mastiff that has just escaped from a snow- 
bank. “ Hurrah ! Deerslayer ; here is daylight, at last, and 
yonder is the lake.” 

These words were scarcely uttered when the second forester 
dashed aside the bushes of the swamp, and appeared in the area. 
After making a hurried adjustment of his arms and disordered 
dress, he joined his companion, who had already begun his dis- 
position for a halt. 

“ Do you know this spot ? ” demanded the one called Deer- 
slayer, “or do you shout at the sight of the sun ? ” 

“Both, lad, both; I know the spot, and am not sorry to 
see so useful a fri’nd as the sun. Now we have got the p’ints 
of the compass in our minds once more, and ’t will be our own 
faults if we let anything turn them topsy-turvy ag’in, as has just 
happened. My name is not Hurry Harry if this be not the very 
spot where the land-hunters ’camped the last summer, and passed 
a week. See ! yonder are the dead bushes of their bower, and 
here is the spring. Much as I like the sun, boy, I ’ve no 
occasion for it to tell me it is noon ; this stomach of mine is as 
good a time-piece as is to be found in the colony, and it already 
p’ints to half-past twelve. So open the wallet, and let us wind 
up for another six hours’ run.” 

At this suggestion, both set themselves about making the 
preparations necessary for their usual frugal but hearty meal. 
We will profit by this pause in the discourse to give the reader 
some idea of the appearance of the men, each of whom is des- 
tined to enact no insignificant part in our legend. It would not 
have been easy to find a more noble specimen of vigorous man- 
hood than was offered in the person of him who called himself 
Hurry Harry. His real name was Henry March ; but the front- 
iermen having caught the practice of giving sobriquets^ from the 
Indians, the appellation of Hurry was far oftener applied to. him 


THE DEERSLAYER 


5 


than his proper designation, and not unfrequently he was termed 
Hurry Skurry, a nickname he had obtained from a dashing, 
reckless, off-hand manner, and a physical restlessness that kept 
him so constantly on the move, as to cause him to be known 
along the whole line of scattered habitations that lay between 
the province and the Canadas. The stature of Hurry Harry 
exceeded six feet four, and being unusually well proportioned, 
his strength fully realized the idea created by his gigantic frame. 
The face did no discredit to the rest of the man, for it was 
both good-humored and handsome. His air was free, and 
though his manner necessarily partook of the rudeness of a 
border life, the grandeur that pervaded so noble a physique 
prevented it from becoming altogether vulgar. 

Deerslayer, as Hurry called his companion, was a very differ- 
ent person in appearance, as well as in character. In stature 
he stood about six feet in his moccasins, but his frame was 
comparatively light and slender, showing muscles, however, that 
promised unusual agility, if not unusual strength. His face 
would have had little to recommend it except youth, were it 
not for an expression that seldom failed to win upon those who 
had leisure to examine it, and to yield to the feeling of confi- 
dence it created. This expression was simply that of guileless 
truth, sustained by an earnestness of purpose, and a sincerity of 
feeling, that rendered it remarkable. At times this air of 
integrity seemed to be so simple as to awaken the suspicion 
of a want of the usual means to discriminate between artifice 
and truth ; but few came in serious contact with the man, 
without losing this distrust in respect for his opinions and 
motives. 

Both these frontiermen were still young, Hurry having 
reached the age of six or eight and twenty, while Deerslayer 
was several years his junior. Their attire needs no particular 
description, though it may be well to add that it was composed 
in no small degree of dressed deer-skins, and had the usual 


6 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


signs of belonging to those who pass their time between the 
skirts of civilized society and the boundless forests. There 
was, notwithstanding, some attention to smartness and the pic- 
turesque in the arrangements of Deerslayer’s dress, more partic- 
ularly in the part connected with his arms and accoutrements. 
His rifle was in perfect condition, the handle of his hunting- 
knife was neatly carved, his powder-horn was ornamented with 
suitable devices lightly cut into the material, and his shot-pouch 
was decorated with wampum. On the other hand, Hurry 
Harry, either from constitutional recklessness, or from a secret 
consciousness how little his appearance required artificial aids, 
wore everything in a careless, slovenly manner, as if he felt a 
noble scorn for the trifling accessories of dress and ornaments. 
Perhaps the peculiar effect of his fine form and great stature 
was increased rather than lessened by this unstudied and dis- 
dainful air of indifference. 

“ Come, Deerslayer, fall to, and prove that you have a Dela- 
ware stomach, as you say you have had a Delaware edication,” 
cried Hurry, setting the example by opening his mouth to 
receive a slice of cold venison steak that would have made an 
entire meal for a European peasant ; “ fall to, lad, and prove 
your manhood on this poor devil of a doe with your teeth, as 
you Ve already done with your rifle.” 

“ Nay, nay, Hurry, there ’s little manhood in killing a doe, 
and that too out of season ; though there might be some in 
bringing down a painter or a catamount,” returned the other, 
disposing liimself to comply. “ The Delawares® have given me my 
name, not so much on account of a bold heart, as on account of a 
quick eye, and an acty ve foot. There may not be any cowardice 
in overcoming a deer, but sartain it is, there ’s no great valor.” 

“ The Delawares themselves are no heroes,” muttered Hurry 
through his teeth, the mouth being too full to permit it to be 
fairly opened, “ or they would never have allowed them loping 
vagabonds, the Mingos, to make them women.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


7 


“That matter is not rightly understood — has never been 
rightly explained,” said Deerslayer earnestly, for he was as 
zealous a friend as his companion was dangerous as an enemy ; 
“ the Mengwe fill the woods with their lies, and misconstruct 
words and treaties. I have now lived ten years with the 
Delawares, and know them to be as manful as any other 
nation, when the proper time to strike comes.” 

“ Harkee, Master Deerslayer, since we are on the subject, we 
may as well open our minds to each other in a man-to-man way ; 
answer me one question ; you have had so much luck among the 
game as to have gotten a title, it would seem, but did you ever 
hit anything human or intelligible : did you ever pull trigger 
on an inimy that was capable of pulling one upon you ? ” 

This question produced a singular collision between mortifica- 
tion and correct feeling, in the bosom of the youth, that was 
easily to be traced in the workings of his ingenuous countenance. 
The struggle was short, however; uprightness of heart soon 
getting the better of false pride and frontier boastfulness. 

“To own the truth, I never did,” answered Deerslayer; “see- 
ing that a fitting occasion never offered. The Delawares have 
been peaceable since my sojourn with ’em, and I hold it to be 
onlawful to take the life of man, except in open and generous 
warfare.” 

“ What ! did you never find a fellow thieving among your 
traps and skins, and do the law on him with your own hands, 
by way of saving the magistrates trouble in the settlements, and 
the rogue himself the cost of the suit 1 ” 

“I am no trapper. Hurry,” returned the young man proudly: 
“ I live by the rifle, a we’pon at which I will not turn my back 
on any man of my years, atween the Hudson and the St. Law- 
rence. I never offer a skin that has not a hole in its head 
besides them which natur’ made to see with or to breathe 
through.” 

“ Ay, ay, this is all very well, in the animal way, though it 


8 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


makes but a poor figure alongside of scalps and ambushes. 
Shooting an Indian from an ambush is acting up to his own 
principles, and now we have what you call a lawful war on our 
hands, the sooner you wipe that disgrace off your character, 
the sounder will be your sleep ; if it only come from knowing 
there is one inimy the less prowling in the woods. I shall not 
frequent your society long, friend Natty, unless you look higher 
than four-footed beasts to practise your rifle on.” 

“ Our journey is nearly ended, you say. Master March, and 
we can part to-night, if you see occasion. I have a fri’nd wait- 
ing for me, who will think it no disgrace to consort with a fellow- 
creatur’ that has never yet slain his kind.” 

“I wish I knew what has brought that skulking Delaware into 
this part of the country so early in the season,” muttered Hurry 
to himself, in a way to show equally distrust and a recklessness 
of its betrayal. “ Where did you say the young chief was to give 
you the meeting ? ” 

“At a small round rock, near the foot of the lake, where, 
they tell me, the tribes are given to resorting to make their 
treaties, and to bury their hatchets. This rock have I often 
heard the Delawares mention, though lake and rock are equally 
strangers to me. The country is claimed by both Mingos and 
Mohicans, ° and is a sort of common territory to fish and hunt 
through, in time of peace, though what it may become in war- 
time, the Lord only knows ! ” 

“ Common territory ! ” exclaimed Hurry, laughing aloud. “ I 
should like to know what Floating Tom Hutter would say to 
that? He claims the lake as his own property, in vartue of 
fifteen years’ possession, and will not be likely to give it up to 
either Mingo or Delaware without a battle for it.” 

“And what will the colony say to such a quarrel? All this 
country must have some owner, the gentry pushing their cravings 
into the wilderness, even where they never dare to ventur’, in 
their own persons, to look at the land they own.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


9 


“ That may do in other quarters of the colony, Deerslayer, but 
it will not do here. Not a human being, the Lord excepted, 
owns a foot of sile in this part of the country. Pen was never 
put to paper consarning either hill or valley hereaway, as I Ve 
heard old Tom say time and ag’in, and so he claims the best 
right to it of any man breathing ; and what Tom claims, he ’ll 
be very likely to maintain.” 

“ By what I ’ve heard you say. Hurry, this Floating Tom must 
be an uncommon mortal ; neither Mingo, Delaware, nor pale-face. 
His possession, too, has been long, by your tell, and altogether be- 
yond frontier endurance. What ’s the man’s history and natur’ ? ” 

“Why, as to old Tom’s human natur’, it is not much like 
other men’s human natur’, but more like a muskrat’s human 
natur’, seeing that he takes more to the ways of that animal 
than to the ways of any other fellow-creatur’. Some think he 
was a free liver on the salt water, in his youth, and a companion 
of a sartain Kidd,° who was hanged for piracy, long afore you 
and I were born or acquainted, and that he came up into these 
regions, Blinking that the king’s cruisers could never cross the 
mountains, and that he might enjoy the plunder peaceably in 
the woods.” 

“ Then he was wrong. Hurry ; very wrong. A man can 
enjoy peaceably nowhere.” 

“ That ’s much as his turn of mind may happen to be. I ’ve 
known them that never could enjoy it at all, unless it was in 
the midst of a jollification, and them ag’in that enjoyed it best 
in a corner. Some men have no peace if they don’t find plunder, 
and some if they do. Human natur’ is crooked in these matters. 
Old Tom seems to belong to neither set, as he enjoys his, if 
plunder he has really got, with his darters, in a very quiet and 
comfortable way, and wishes for no more.” 

“Ay, he has darters, too ; I ’ve heard the Delawares, who ’ve 
hunted this a way, tell their histories of these young women. Is 
there no mother. Hurry ? ” 


10 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ There was once, as in reason ; but she has now been dead 
and sunk these two good years.” 

“ Anan ? ” said Deerslayer, looking up at his companion in a 
little surprise. 

“ Dead and sunk, I say, and I hope that ’s good English. The 
old fellow lowered his wife into the lake, by way of seeing the 
last of her, as I can testify, being an eye-witness of the cere- 
mony ; but whether Tom did it to save digging, which is no 
easy job among roots, or out of a consait that water washes 
away sin sooner than ’arth, is more than I can say.” 

“ Was the poor woman oncommon wicked, that her husband 
should take so much pains with her body ? ” 

“Not onreasonable ; though she had her faults. I consider 
Judith Hutter to have been as graceful, and about as likely to 
make a good ind as any woman who had lived so long beyond 
the sound of church bells ; and I conclude old Tom sunk her as 
much by way of saving pains, as by way of taking it. There 
was a little steel in her temper, it ’s true, and, as old Hutter is 
pretty much flint, they struck out sparks on ce-and-a- while ; but, 
on the whole, they might be said to live amicable like. When 
they did kindle, the listeners got some such insights into their 
past lives, as one gets into the darker parts of the woods, when 
a stray gleam of sunshine finds its way down to the roots of 
the trees. But J udith I shall always esteem, as it ’s recommend 
enough to one woman to be the mother of such a creatur’ as her 
darter, Judith Hutter!” 

“ Ay, Judith was the name the Delawares mentioned, though 
it was pronounced after a fashion of their own. From their 
discourse, I do not think the girl would much please my 
fancy.” 

“ Thy fancy ! ” exclaimed March, taking fire equally at the 
indifference and at the presumption of his companion, “what 
the devil have you to do with a fancy, and that, too, consarning 
one like Judith? You are but a boy — a sapling, that has 


THE DEERSLAYER 


11 


scarce got root. Judith has had men among her suitors, ever 
since she was fifteen ; which is now near five years ; and will 
not be apt even to cast a look upon a half-grown creatur’ like 
you ! ” 

“It is June, and there is not a cloud atween us and the 
sun, Hurry, so all this heat is not wanted,” answered the 
other, altogether undisturbed; “any one may have a fancy, 
and a squirrel has a right to make up his mind touching a 
catamount.” 

“ Ay, but it might not be wise, always, to let the catamount 
know it,” growled March. “ But you ’re young and thoughtless, 
and I ’ll overlook your ignorance. Come' Deerslayer,” he added, 
with a good-natured laugh, after pausing a moment to reflect, 
“come, Deerslayer, we are sworn fri’nds, and will not quarrel 
about a light-minded, jilting jade, just because she happens to 
be handsome ; more especially as you have never seen her. 
Judith is only fora man whose teeth show the full marks, and 
it ’s foolish to be afeard of a boy. What did the Delawares say 
of the hussy? for an Indian, after all, has his notions of 
womankind, as well as a white man.” 

“ They said she was fair to look on, and pleasant of speech ; 
but over-given to admirers, and light-minded.” 

“ They are devils incarnate ! After all, what schoolmaster 
is a match for an Indian, in looking into natur’ ? Some people 
think they are only good on a trail or the war-path, but I say 
that they are philosophers, and understand a man as well as 
they understand a beaver, and a woman as well as they under- 
stand either. Now that’s Judith’s character to a ribbon ! To 
own the truth to you, Deerslayer, I should have married the 
gal two years since, if it had not been for two particular things, 
one of which was this very light-mindedness.” 

“And what may have been the other?” demanded the hunter, 
who continued to eat like one that took very little interest in 
the subject. 


12 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


“ T’ other was an insartainty about her having me. The hussy 
is handsome, and she knows it. Boy, not a tree that is grow- 
ing in these hills is straighter, or waves in the wind with an 
easier bend, nor did you ever see the doe that bounded with a 
more nat’ral motion. If that was all, every tongue would 
sound her praises ; but she has such failings that I find it 
hard to overlook them, and sometimes I swear I ’ll never visit 
the lake ag’in.” 

“ Which is the reason that you always come back ? Nothing 
is ever made more sure by swearing about it.” 

“ Ah, Deerslayer, you are a novelty in these partic’lars ; keep- 
ing as true to edicatioii as if you had never left the settlements. 
With me the case is different, and I never want to clinch an 
idee, that I do not feel a wish to swear about it. If you know’d 
all that I know consarning Judith, you ’d find a justification for 
a little cussing. Now, the officers sometimes stray over to the 
lake, from the forts on the Mohawk, to fish and hunt, and then 
the creatur’ seems beside herself ! You can see in the manner 
which she wears her finery, and the airs she gives herself with 
the gallants.” 

“ That is unseemly in a poor man’s darter,” returned Deer- 
slayer gravely, “the officers are all gentry, and can only look 
on such as Judith with evil intentions.” 

“ There ’s the unsartainty, and the damper ! I have my mis- 
givings about a particular captain, and Jude has no one to 
blame but her own folly, if I ’m right. On the whole, I wish 
to look upon her as modest and becoming, and yet the clouds 
that drive among these hills are not more unsartain. Not a 
dozen white men have ever laid eyes upon her since she was a 
child, arid yet her airs, with two or three of these officers, are 
extinguishers ! ” 

“ I would think no more of such ,a woman, but turn my mind 
altogether to the forest ; that will not deceive you, being ordered 
and ruled by a hand that never wavers.” 


THE HEERSLAYER 


13 


“If you know’d Judith, you would see how much easier it is 
to say this than it would be to do it. Could I bring my mind 
to be easy about the officers, I would carry the gal off to the 
Mohawk by force, make her marry me in spite of her whiffling, 
and leave old Tom to the care of Hetty, his other child, who, 
if she be not as handsome or as quick-witted as her sister, is 
much the most dutiful.” 

“ Is there another bird in the same nest 1 ” asked Deerslayer, 
raising his eyes with a species of half-awakened curiosity, — 
“the Delawares spoke to me only of one.” 

“That’s nat’ral enough, when Judith Hutter and Hetty 
Hutter are in question. Hetty is only comely, while her 
sister, I tell thee, boy, is such another as is not to be found 
atween this and the sea: Judith is as full of wit, and talk, 
and cunning, as an old Indian orator, while poor Hetty is at 
the best but ‘compass meant us.’” 

“Allan?” inquired, again, the Deerslayer. 

“ Why, what the officers call ‘ compass meant us,’ which I 
understand to signify that she means always to go in the 
right direction, but sometimes does n’t know how. ‘ Compass ’ 
for the p’int, and ‘meant us’ for the intention. No, poor 
Hetty is what I call on the varge of ignorance, and some- 
times she stumbles on one side of the line, and sometimes 
on t’other.” 

“ Them are beings that the Lord has in his ’special care,” 
said Deerslayer, solemnly; “for he looks carefully to all who 
fall short of their proper share of reason. The redskins honor 
and respect them who are so gifted, knowing that the Evil 
Spirit delights more to dwell in an artful body, than in one 
that has no cunning to work upon.” 

“ I ’ll answer for it, then, that he will not remain long with 
poor Hetty ; for the child is just ‘compass meant us,’ as I have 
told you. Old Tom has a feeling for the gal, and so has Judith, 
quick-witted and glorious as she is herself ; else would I not 


14 


THE DEERSLAYEtt 


answer for her being altogether safe among the sort of men that 
sometimes meet on the lake shore.” 

“ I thought this water an onknown and little-frequented sheet,” 
observed the Deerslayer, evidently uneasy at the idea of being 
too near the world. 

“ It ’s all that, lad, the eyes of twenty white men never having 
been laid on it ; still, twenty true-bred frontiermen — hunters 
and trappers, and scouts, and the like — can do a deal of mis- 
chief if they try. ’T would be an awful thing to me, Deerslayer, 
did I find Judith married, after an absence of six months ! ” 

“ Have you the gal’s faith, to encourage you to hope other- 
wise ? ” 

“Not at all. I know not how it is : I ’m good-looking, boy, 

— that much I can see in any spring on which the sun shines, 

— and yet I could not get the hussy to a promise, or even a 
cordial willing smile, though she will laugh by the hour. If she 
has dared to marry in my absence, she ’ll be like to know the 
pleasures of widowhood afore she is twenty ! ” 

“ You would not harm the man she has chosen, Hurry, simply 
because she found him more to her liking than yourself? ” 

“ Why not ? If an inimy crosses my path, will I not beat 
him out of it ! Look at me ! am I a man like to let any sneak- 
ing, crawling, skin-trader get the better of me in a matter that 
touches me as near as the kindness of Judith Hutter? Besides, 
when we live beyond law, we must be our own judges and execu- 
tioners. And if a man should be found dead in the woods, who 
is there to say who slew him, even admitting that the colony 
took the matter in hand and made a stir about it ? ” 

“If that man should be Judith Hutter’s husband, after what 
has passed, I might tell enough, at least, to put the colony on 
the trail.” 

“You! — half-grown, venison-hunting bantling! You dare 
to think of informing against Hurry Harry in so much as a mat- 
ter touching a mink or a woodchuck ! ” 


THE DEERSLAYER 15 

“ I would dare to speak truth, Hurry, consarning you or any 
man that ever lived.” 

March looked at his companion, for a moment, in silent amaze- 
ment ; then seizing him by the throat with both hands, he shook 
his comparatively slight frame with a violence that menaced the 
dislocation of some of the bones. Nor was this done jocularly, 
for anger flashed from the giant’s eyes, and there were certain 
signs that seemed to threaten much more earnestness than the 
occasion would appear to call for. Whatever might be the real 
intention of March, and it is probable there was none settled in 
his mind, it is certain that he was unusually aroused ; and most 
men who found themselves throttled by one of a mould so gigan- 
tic, in such a mood, and in a solitude so deep and helpless, would 
have felt intimidated, and tempted to yield even the right. Not 
so, however, with Deerslayer. His countenance remained un- 
moved ; his hand did not shake, and his answer was given in a 
voice that did not resort to the artifice of louder tones, even by 
way of proving its owner’s resolution. 

“ You may shake, Hurry, until you bring down the mountain,” 
he said quietly, “ but nothing beside truth will you shake from 
me. It is probable that Judith Hutter has no husband to slay, 
and you may never have a chance to waylay one, else would I 
tell her of your threat, in the first conversation I held with the 
gal.” 

March released his gripe, and sat regarding the other in silent 
astonishment. 

“I thought we had been friends,” he at length added ; “but 
you ’ve got the last secret of mine that will ever enter your ears.” 

“ I want none, if they are to be like this. I know we live in 
the woods, Hurry, and are thought to be beyond human law.s, — 
and perhaps we are so, in fact, whatever it may be in right, — 
but there is a law and a law-maker, that rule across the whole 
■ continent. He that flies in the face of either need not call me 
fa friend.” 


16 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Damme, Deerslayer, if I do not believe you are at heart a 
Moravian, and no fair-minded, plain-dealing hunter, as you’ve 
pretended to be ! ” 

“Fair-minded or not. Hurry, you will find me as plain -dealing 
in deeds as I am in words. But this giving way to sudden anger 
is foolish, and proves how little you have sojourned with the red- 
man. Judith Hutter no doubt is still single, and you spoke but 
as the tongue ran, and not as the heart felt. There ’s my hand, 
and we will say and think no more about it.” 

Hurry seemed more surprised than ever ; then he burst forth 
in a loud, good-natured laugh, which brought tears to his eyes. 
After this he accepted the oftered hand, and the parties became 
friends. 

“ T would have been foolish to quarrel about an idee,” March 
cried, as he resumed his meal, “and more like lawyers in the 
towns than like sensible men in the woods. They tell me, Deer- 
slayer, much ill-blood grows out of idees among the people in the 
lower counties, and that they sometimes get to extremities upon 
them.” 

“ That do they, — that do they ; and about other matters that 
might better be left to take care of themselves. I have heard 
the Moravians say that there are lands in which men quarrel 
even consarning their religion ; and if they can get their tempers 
up on such a subject. Hurry, the Lord have marcy on ’em. Hows- 
ever, there is no occasion for our following their example, and 
more especially about a husband that this Judith Hutter may 
never see, or never wish to see. For my part, I feel more 
cur’osity about the feeble-witted sister than about your beauty. 
There ’s something that comes close to a man’s feelin’s, when ho 
meets with a fellow-creatur’ that has all the outward show of am 
accountable mortal, and who fails of being what he seems, only 
through a lack of reason. This is bad enough in a man, but 
when it comes to a woman, and she a young, and maybe a win- 
ning creatur’, it touches all the pitiful thoughts his natur’ has. 


THE EEERISLA YE It 


17 


God knows, Hurry, that such poor things be defenceless enough 
with all their wits about ’em ; but it ’s a cruel fortun’ when that 
great protector and guide fails ’em.” 

“ Harkee, Deerslayer, — you know what the hunters, and 
trappers, and peltry-men in general be ; and their best friends 
will not deny that they are headstrong and given to having their 
own way, without much bethinking ’em of other people’s rights 
or feeliu’s, — and yet I don’t think the man is to be found, in 
all this region, who would harm Hetty Hutter, if he could ; no, 
not even a redskin.” 

“ Therein, fri’nd Hurry, you do the Delawares, at least, and 
all their allied tribes, only justice, for a redskin looks upon a 
being thus struck by God’s power as especially under his care. 
I rejoice to hear what you say, however, I rejoice to hear it; but 
as the sun is beginning to turn towards the a’ternoon’s sky, had 
we not better strike the trail ag’in, and make forward, that we 
may get an opportunity of seeing these wonderful sisters ? ” 

Harry March giving a cheerful assent, the remnants of the meal 
were soon collected ; then the travellers shouldered their packs, 
resumed their arms, and, quitting the little area of light, they 
again plunged into tjie deep shadows of the forest. 


CHAPTER II 


“ Thou ’rt passing from the lake’s green side, 

And the hunter’s hearth away; 

* For the time of flowers, for the summer’s pride. 

Daughter! thou canst not stay.” 

Records of Woman. 

Our two adventurers had not far to go. Hurry knew the 
direction, as soon as he had found the open spot and the 


18 


THE DEERSLA YER 


spring, and he now led on with the confident step of a man 
assured of his object. The forest was dark, as a matter of course, 
but it was no longer obstructed by underbrush, and the footing 
was firm and dry. After proceeding near a mile, March stopped, 
and began to cast about him with an inquiring look, examining 
the different objects with care, and occasionally turning his eyes 
on the trunks of the fallen trees, with which tlie ground was 
well sprinkled, as is usually the case in an American wood, 
especially in those parts of the country where timber has not 
yet become valuable. 

“ This must be the place, Deerslayer,” March at length 
observed ; “here is a beech by the side of a hemlock, with three 
pines at hand, and yonder is a white birch with a broken top ; 
and yet I see no rock, nor any of the branches bent down, as I 
told you would be tlie case.” 

“ Broken branches are onskilful landmarks, as the least 
experienced know that branches don’t often break of them- 
selves,” returned the other ; “ and they also lead to suspicion 
and discoveries. The Delawares never trust to broken branches, 
unless it is in friendly times, and on an open trail. As for the 
beeches, and pines, and hemlocks, why, they are to be seen on 
all sides of us, not only by twos and threes, but by forties, and 
fifties, and hundreds.” 

“ Very true, Deerslayer, but you never calculate on position. 
Here is a beecli and a liemlock — ” 

“ Yes, and there is another beech and a hemlock, as loving as 
two brothers, or, for that matter, more loving than some 
brothers ; and yonder are others, for neither tree is a rarity 
in these woods. I fear me. Hurry, you are better at trapping 
beaver and shooting bears, than at leading on a blindish sort of 
a trail. Ha ! there’s what you wish to find, a’ter all ! ” 

“ Now, Deerslayer, this is one of your Delaware pretensions, for 
hang me if I see anything but these trees, which do seem to start 
up around us in a most onaccouiitable and perplexing manner.”, 


THE DEERSLAYEB 


19 


“Look this a way, Hurry — here, in a line with the black 
oak — don’t you see the crooked sapling that is hooked up in 
the branches of the bass-wood, near it? Now, that sapling 
was once snow-ridden, and got the bend by its weight; but it 
never straightened itself, and fastened itself in among the bass- 
wood branches in the way you see. The hand of man did that 
act of kindness for it.” 

“ That hand was mine ( ” exclaimed Hurry ; “ I found the 
slender young thing bent to the airth, like an unfortunate 
creatur’ borne down by misfortune, and stuck it up where you 
see it. After all, Deerslayer, I must allow, you ’re getting to 
have an oncommon good eye for the woods ! ” 

“ ’T is improving, Hurry, — ’t is improving, I will acknowledge ; 
but ’t is only a child’s eye, compared to some I know. There ’s 
Tamenund, now, though a man so old that few remember when 
he was in his prime, Tamenund lets nothing escape his look, 
which is more like the scent of a hound than the sight of an 
eye. Then Uncas, the father of Chingachgook, and the lawful 
chief of the Mohicans, is another that is almost hopeless to pass 
unseen. I ’m improving, I will allow — I ’m improving, but far 
from being perfect, as yet.” 

“ And who is this Chingachgook, of whom you talk so much, 
Deei-slayer ? ” asked Hurry, as he moved off in the direction of 
the righted sapling ; “ a loping redskin, at the best, I make no 
(question.” 

“ Not so. Hurry, but the best of loping redskins, as you call 
’em. If he had his rights, he would be a great chief ; but, as 
it is, he is only a brave and just-minded Delaware ; respected, 
and even obeyed in some things, ’t is true, but of a fallen race, 
and belonging to a fallen people. Ah ! Harry March, ’t would 
warm the heart within you to sit in their lodges of a winter’s 
night, and listen to the traditions of the ancient greatness and 
power of the Mohicans ! ” 

“Harkee, fri’nd Nathaniel,” said Hurry, stopping short to 


20 


THE DEERSLAYER 


face his companion, in order that his words might carry greater 
weight with them, “ if a man believed all that other people 
choose to say in their own favor, he might get an oversized 
opinion of them, and an undersized opinion of himself. These 
redskins are notable boasters, and I set down more than half 
of their traditions as pure talk,” 

“ There is truth in what you say. Hurry, I ’ll not deny it, for 
I ’ve seen it, and believe it. They do boast, but then that is 
a gift from natur’ ; and it ’s sinful to withstand nat’ral gifts. 
See ; this is the spot you come to find ! ” 

This remark cut short the discourse, and both the men now 
gave all their attention to the object immediately before them, 
Deerslayer pointed out to his companion the trunk of a huge 
linden, or bass-wood, as it is termed in the language of the coun- 
try, which had filled its time, and fallen by its own weight. 
This tree, like so many millions of its brethren, lay where it had 
fallen, and was mouldering under the slow but certain influence 
of the seasons. The decay, however, had attacked its centre, 
even while it stood erect in the pride of vegetation, hollowing 
out its heart, as disease sometimes destroys the vitals of animal 
life, even while a fair exterior is presented to the observer. As 
the trunk lay stretched for near a hundred feet along the eartli, 
the quick eye of the hunter detected this peculiarity, and, from 
this and other circumstances, he knew it to be the tree of which 
March was in search, 

“ Ay, here we have what we want,” cried Hurry, looking in 
at the larger end of the linden ; “ everything is as snug as if it 
had been left in an old woman’s cupboard. Come, lend me 
a hand, Deerslayer, and we’ll be afloat in half an hour,” 

At this call the hunter joined his companion, and the two 
went to work deliberately and regularly, like men accustomed 
to the sort of thing in which they were employed. In the first 
place, Hurry removed some pieces of bark that lay before the 
large opening in the tree, and which the other declared to be 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


21 


disposed in a way that would have been more likely to attract 
attention than to conceal the cover, had any straggler passed 
that way. The two then drew out a bark canoe, containing its 
seats, paddles, and other appliances, even to fishing-lines and 
rods. This vessel was by no means small ; but such was its 
comparative lightness, and so gigantic was the strength of 
Hurry, that the latter shouldered it with seeming ease, declin- 
ing all assistance, even in the act of raising it to the awkward 
position in wdiich he was obliged to hold it. 

“Lead ahead, Deerslayer,” said March, “and open the 
bushes ; the rest I can do for myself.” 

The other obeyed, and the men left the spot, Deerslayer clear- 
ing the way for his companion, and inclining to the right or to 
the left, as the latter directed. In about ten minutes they both 
broke suddenly into the brilliant light of the sun, on a low 
gravelly point, that was washed by water on quite half its 
outline. 

An exclamation of surprise broke from the lips of Deei'slayer, 
an exclamation that was low and guardedly made, however, for 
his habits were much more thoughtful and regulated than those 
of the reckless Hurry, when, on reaching the margin of the lake, 
he beheld the view that unexpectedly met his gaze. It was, in 
truth, sufficiently striking to merit a brief description. On 
a level with the point lay a broad sheet of water, so placid and 
limpid that it resembled a bed of the pure mountain atmosphere, 
compressed into a setting of hills and woods. Its length was 
about three leagues, while its breadth was irregular, expanding 
to half a league, or even more, opposite to the point, and con- 
tracting to less than half that distance, more to the southward. 
Of course, its margin was irregular, being indented by bays, anti 
broken by many projecting, low points. At its northern, or 
nearest end, it was bounded by an isolated mountain, lower 
land falling oft’ east and west, gracefully relieving the sweep of 
the outline. Still the character of the country was mountain- 


22 


THE DEERSLAYER 


ons; high hills, or low mountains, rising abruptly from the 
water, on quite nine tenths of its circuit. The exceptions, 
indeed, only served a little to vary the scene ; and even beyond 
the parts of the shore that were comparatively low, the back- 
ground was high, though more distant. 

But the most striking peculiarities of this scene were its sol- 
emn solitude and sweet repose. On all sides, wherever the eye 
turned, nothing met it but the mirror-like surface of the lake, 
the placid view of heaven, and the dense setting of woods. So 
rich and fleecy were the outlines of the forest, that scarce an 
opening could be seen, the whole visible earth, from the rounded 
mountain-top to the water’s edge, presenting one unvaried hue 
of unbroken verdure. As if vegetation were not satisfied with 
a triumph so complete, the trees overhung the lake itself, shoot- 
ing out towards the light ; and there were miles along its east- 
ern shore, where a boat might have pulled beneath the branches 
of dark Rembrandt°-looking hemlocks, “ quivering aspens,” and 
melancholy pines. In a word, the hand of man had never yet 
defaced or deformed any part of this native scene, which lay 
bathed in the sunlight, a glorious picture of affluent forest-gran- 
deur, softened by the balminess of June, and relieved by the 
beautiful variety afforded by the presence of so broad an expanse 
of water. 

“ This is grand ! — ’t is solemn ! — ’t is an edication of itself, 
to look upon! ” exclaimed Deerslayer, as he stood leaning on his 
rifle, and gazing to the right and left, north and south, above 
and beneath, in whichever direction his eye could wander ; “ not 
a tree disturbed even by redskin hand, as I can discover, but 
everything left in the ordering of the Lord, to live and die 
according to his own designs and laws 1 Hurry, your Judith 
ought to be a moral and well-disposed young woman, if she has 
passed half the time you mention in the centre of a spot so 
favored.” 

“ That ’s naked truth 5 and yet the gal has the vagaries. All 


THE DEERSLAYEn 


23 


her time has not been passed here, howsever, old Tom having 
the custom, afore I know’d liim, of going to spend the winters 
in the neighborhood of the settlers, or under the guns of the 
forts. No, no, Jude has caught more than is for her good from 
the settlers, and especially from the gallantifying officers.” 

“ If she has — if she has, Hurry, this is a school to set her 
mind right ag’in. But what is this I see off here, abreast of 
us, that seems too small for an island, and too large for a boat, 
though it stands in the midst of the water ? ” 

“ Why, that is what these gallanting gentry from the forts 
call Muskrat Castle; and old Tom himself will grin at the 
name, though it bears so hard on his own natur’ and charac- 
ter. ’T is the stationary house, there being two ; this, which 
never moves, and the other, that floats, being sometimes in one 
part of the lake and sometimes in another. Tlie last goes by 
the name of the ark, though what may be the meaning of the 
word is more than I can tell you.” 

“ It must come from the missionaries. Hurry, whom I have 
heard speak and read of such a thing. They say that the ’arth 
was once covered with water, and that Noah, with his children, 
was saved from drowning by building a vessel called an ark, in 
whicli he embarked in season. Some of the Delawares believe 
this tradition, and some deny it ; but it behooves you and me, 
as white men born, to put our faith in its truth. Do you see 
anything of this ark ? ” 

“ ’T is down south, no doubt, or anchored in some of the bays. 
But the canoe is ready, and fifteen minutes will carry two such 
paddles as your’n and mine to the castle.” 

At this suggestion, Deerslayer helped his companion to place 
the different articles in the canoe, which was already afloat. 
This was no sooner done than the two frontiermen embarked, 
and by a vigorous push sent the light bark some eight or ten 
rods from the shore. Hurry now took the seat in the stern, 
while Deerslayer placed himself forward, and by leisurely but 


24 


THE DEERSLAYER 


steady strokes of the paddles, the canoe glided across the placid 
sheet, towards the extraordinary-looking structure that the for- 
mer had styled Muskrat Castle. Several times the men ceased 
paddling, and looked about them at the scene, as new glimpses 
opened from behind points, enabling them to see farther down 
the lake, or to get broader views of the wmoded mountains. The 
only changes, however, were in the new forms of the hills, the 
varying curvature of the bays, and the wider reaches of the val- 
ley south ; the whole earth apparently being clothed in a gala- 
dress of leaves. 

“This is a sight to warm the heart ! ” exclaimed Deerslayer, 
when they had thus stopped for the fourth or fifth time ; “ the 
lake seems made to let us get an insight into the noble forests ; 
and land and water alike stand in the beauty of God’s provi- 
dence ! Do you say. Hurry, that there is no man who calls 
himself lawful owner of all these glories'?” 

“None but the King, lad. He may pretend to some right 
of that natur’, but he is so far away that his claim will never 
trouble old Tom Hutter, who has got possession, and is like to 
keep it as long* as his life lasts. Tom is no squatter, not being 
on land ; I call him a floater.” 

“ I invy that man ! I know it ’s wrong, and I strive ag’in 
the feelin’, but I invy that man ! Don’t think. Hurry, that 
I ’m consarting any plan to put myself in his moccasins, for 
such a thought does n’t harbor in my mind ; but I can’t help 
a little invy ? ’T is a nat’ral feelin’, and the best of us are but 
nat’ral, a’ter all, and give way to such feelin’s at times.” 

“You’ve only to marry Hetty to inherit half the estate,” 
cried Hurry, laugliing ; “ the gal is comely ; nay, if it was n’t 
for her sister’s beauty she would be even handsome ; and then 
her wits are so small that you may easily convart her into one 
of your own way of thinking, in all things. Do you take Hetty 
off the old fellow’s hands, and I ’ll engage he ’ll give you an inter- 
est in every deer you can knock over within five miles of his 
lake.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 25 

“Does game abound?” suddenly demanded the other, who 
paid but little attention to March’s raillery. 

“ It has the country to itself. Scarce a trigger is pulled on 
it ; and as for the trappers, this is not a region they greatly 
frequent. I ought not to be so much here myself, but Jude 
pulls one way, while the beaver pulls another. More than a 
hundred Spanish dollars has that crcatur’ cost me the last two 
seasons, and yet I could not forego the wish to look upon her 
face once more.” 

“Do the redmen often visit this lake. Hurry?” continued 
Deerslayer, pursuing his own train of thought. 

“ Why, they come and go ; sometimes in parties, and some- 
times singly. The country seems to belong to no native tribe 
in particular ; and so it has fallen into the hands of the Hutter 
tribe. The old man tells me that some sharp ones have been 
wheedling the Mohawks for an Indian deed, in order to get a 
title out of the colony ; but nothing has come of it, seeing that 
no one heavy enough for such a trade has yet meddled with the 
matter. The hunters have a good life-lease still of this wilder- 
ness.” 

“So much the better, so much the better. Hurry. If I was 
King of England, the man that felled one of these trees without 
good occasion for the timber, should be banished to a desarted 
anti forlorn region, in which no four-footed animal ever trod. 
Right glad am I that Chingachgook app’inted our meeting 
on this lake, for hitherto eye of mine never looked on such a 
glorious spectacle.” 

“ That ’s because you ’ve kept so much among the Delawares, 
in whose country there are no lakes. Now, farther north and 
farther west these bits of water abound ; and you ’re young, and 
may yet live to see ’em. But though there be other lakes, 
Deerslayer, there’s no other Judith Hutter!” 

At this remark his companion smiled, and then he dropped 
his paddle into the water, as if in consideration of a lover’s 


26 


THE DEERSLAYER 


haste. Both now pulled vigorously until they got within a 
hundred yards of the “castle,” as Hurry familiarly called the 
house of Hutter, when they again ceased paddling; the admirer 
of Judith restraining his impatience the more readily, as he per- 
ceived that the building was untenanted at the moment. This 
new pause was to enable Deerslayer to survey the singular edi- 
fice, which was of a construction so novel as to merit a particular 
description. 

Muskrat Castle, as the house had been facetiously named by 
some waggish officer, stood in the open lake, at a distance of 
fully a quarter of a mile from the nearest shore. On every 
other side the water extended much farther, the precise posi- 
tion being distant about two miles from the northern end of 
the sheet, and near, if not quite, a mile from its eastern shore. 
As there was not the smallest appearance of any island, but the 
house stood on piles, with the water flowing beneath it, and 
Deerslayer had already discovered that the lake was of a great 
depth, he was fain to ask an explanation of this singular circum- 
stance. Hurry solved the difficulty by telling him that on this 
spot alone, a long, narrow shoal, which extended for a few hundred 
yards in a north and south direction, rose within six or eight feet 
of the surface of the lake, and that Hutter had driven piles into 
it, and placed his habitation on them, for the purpose of security. 

“ The old fellow was burnt out three times, atween the Ind- 
ians and the hunters ; and in one affray with the redskins he 
lost his only son, since which time he has taken to the water 
for safety. No one can attack him here, without coming in a 
boat, and the plunder and scalps would scarce be worth the 
trouble of digging out canoes. Then it ’s by no means sartain 
which would whip in such a scrimmage, for old Tom is well 
supplied with arms and ammunition, and the castle, as you may 
see, is a tight breastwork ag’in light shot.” 

Deerslayer had some theoretical knowledge of frontier war- 
fare, though he had never yet been called on to raise his hand 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


27 


ill anger against a fellow-creature. He saw that Hurry did not 
overrate the strength of this position in a military point of view, 
since it would not be easy to attack it without exposing the 
assailants to the fire of the besieged. A good deal of art had 
also been manifested in the disposition of the timber of which 
the building was constructed and which afforded a protection 
much greater than was usual to the ordinary log-cabins of the 
frontier. The sides and ends were composed of the trunks of 
large pines, cut about nine feet long, and placed upright, instead 
of being laid horizontally, as was the practice of the country. 
These logs were squared on three sides, and had large tenons 
on each end. Massive sills were secured on the heads of the 
piles, with suitable grooves dug out of their upper surfaces, 
which had been squared for tlie purpose, and the lower tenons 
of the upright pieces were placed in these grooves, giving them 
a secure fastening below. Plates had been laid on the upper 
ends of the upright logs, and were kept in their places by a 
similar contrivance ; the several corners of the structure being 
well fastened by scarfing and pinning the sills and plates. The 
floors were made of smaller logs, similarly squared, and the roof 
was composed of light poles, firmly united, and well covered 
with bark. The effect of this ingenious arrangement was to 
give its owner a house that could be approached only by water, 
the sides of which were composed of logs closely wedged to- 
gether, which were two feet tliick in their thinnest parts, and 
which could be separated only by a deliberate and laborious 
use of human hands, or by the slow operation of time. The 
outer surface of the building was rude and uneven, the logs 
being of unequal sizes ; but the squared surfaces within gave 
both the sides and floor as uniform an appearance as was 
desired, either for use or show. The chimney was not the 
least singular portion of the castle, as Hurry made his com- 
panion observe, while he explained the process by which it had 
been made. The material was a stiff clay, properly worked, 


28 


THE DEERSLAYER 


which had been put together in a monk! of sticks, and suffered 
to harden, a foot or two at a time, commencing at the bottom. 
When the entire chimney had thus been raised, and had been 
properly bound in with outward props, a brisk fire was kindled, 
and kept going until it was burned to something like a brick- 
red. This had not been an easy operation, nor had it suc- 
ceeded entirely; but by dint of filling the cracks with fresh 
clay, a safe fireplace and chimney had been obtained in the end. 
This part of the work stood on the log-floor, secured beneath by 
an extra pile. There were a few other peculiarities about this 
dwelling, which will better appear in the course of the narrative. 

“Old Tom is full of contrivances,” added Hurry, “and he 
set his heart on the success of his chimney, wliich threatened 
more than once to give out altogether ; but parseverance will 
even overcome smoke ; and now he has a comfortable cabin of 
it, though it did promise, at one time, to be a chinky sort of a 
flue to carry flames and fire.” 

“You seem to know the whole history of the castle. Hurry, 
chimney and sides,” said Deerslayer, smiling ; “ is love so over- 
coming that it causes a man to study the story of his sweet- 
heart’s habitation ? ” 

“ Partly that, lad, and partly eyesight,” returned the good- 
natured giant, laughing ; “there was a large gang of us in the 
lake, the summer the old fellow built, and we helped him along 
with the job. I raised no small part of the weight of them up- 
rights with my own shoulders, and the axes flew, I can inform 
you. Master Natty, while we were bee-ing it among the trees 
ashore. The old devil is no way stingy about food, and as we 
had often eat at his hearth, we thought we would just house 
him comfortably, afore we went to Albany with our skins. 
Yes, many is the meal I ’ve swallowed in Tom Hutter’s cabins ; 
and Hetty, though so weak in the way of wits, has a wonderful 
particular way about a frying-pan or a gridiron ! ” 

While the parties were thus discoursing, the canoe- had been 


THE EEEltSLAYER 


29 


gradually drawing nearer to the “castle,” and was now so close 
as to require but a single stroke of a paddle to reach the land- 
ing. This was at a floored platform in front of the entrance, 
that might have been some twenty feet square. 

“ Old Tom calls this sort of a wharf his door-yard,” observed 
Hurry, as he fastened the canoe, after he and his companion 
had left it; “and the gallants from the forts have named it 
the ‘castle court,’ though what a ‘court’ can have to do here is 
more than I can tell you, seeing that there is no law. ’T is as 
I supposed ; not a soul within, but the whole family is off on a 
v’y’ge of discovery ! ” 

While Hurry was bustling about the “door-yard,” examining 
the fishing-spears, rods, nets, and other similar appliances of a 
frontier cabin, Deerslayer, whose manner was altogether more 
rebuked and quiet, entered the building with a curiosity that 
was not usually exhibited by one so long trained in Indian 
habits. The interior of the “ castle ” was as faultlessly neat as 
its exterior was novel. The entire space, some twenty feet by 
forty, was subdivided into several small sleeping-rooms ; the 
apartment into which he first entered, serving equally for the 
ordinary uses of its inmates, and for a kitchen. The furniture 
was of the strange mixture that it is not uncommon to find 
in the remotely situated log-tenements of the interior. Most 
of it was rude, and to the last degree rustic ; but tliere was a 
clock, with a handsome case of dark wood, in a corner, and two 
or three chairs, with a table and bureau, that had evidently 
come from some dwelling of more than usual pretension. The 
clock was industriously ticking, but its leaden-looking hands 
did no discredit to their dull aspect, for they pointed to the 
hour of eleven, though the sun plainly showed it was some time 
past the turn of the day. There was also a dark, massive 
chest. The kitchen utensils were of tlie simplest kind, and far 
from numerous, but every article was in its place, and showed 
the nicest care in its condition. 


30 


THE DEERSLA YER 


After Deerslayer had cast a look about him in the outer room, 
he raised a wooden latch, and entered a narrow passage that 
divided the inner end of the house into two equal parts. Fron- 
tier usages being no way scrupulous, and his curiosity being 
strongly excited, the young man now opened a door, and found 
himself in a bedroom. A single glance sufficed to show that 
the apartment belonged to females. The bed was of the feathers 
of wild geese, and filled nearly to overflowing ; but it lay in a 
rude bunk, raised only a foot from the floor. On one side of 
it were arranged, on pegs, various dresses, of a quality much 
superior to what one would expect to meet in such a place, 
with ribbons and other similar articles to correspond. Pretty 
shoes, with handsome silver buckles, sucli as were then worn by 
females in easy circumstances, were not wanting ; and no less 
than six fans, of gay colors, were placed half open, in a way to 
catch the eye by their conceits and hues. Even the pillow, on 
this side of the bed, was covered with finer linen than its com- 
panion, and it was ornamented with a small ruffle. A cap, 
coquettishly decorated with ribbons, hung above it, and a pair 
of long gloves, such as were rarely used in those days by per- 
sons of the laboring classes, were pinned ostentatiously to it, as 
if with an intention to exhibit them there, if they could not be 
shown on the owner’s arms. 

All this Deerslayer saw, and noted with a degree of minute- 
ness that would have done credit to the habitual observation of 
his friends, the Delawares.' Nor did he fail to perceive the dis- 
tinction that existed between the appearances on the different 
sides of the bed, the head of which stood against the wall. On 
that opposite to the one just described, everything was homely 
and uninviting, except through its perfect neatness. The few 
garments that were hanging from the pegs were of the coarsest 
materials and of the commonest forms, while nothing seemed 
made for show. Of ribbons there was not one ; nor was there 
either cap or kerchief beyond those which Hutter’s daughters 
might be fairly entitled to wear. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


31 


It was now several years since Deerslayer had been in a spot 
especially devoted to the uses of females of his own color and 
race. The sight brought back to his mind a rush of childish 
recollections ; and he lingered in the room with a tenderness 
of feeling to which he had long been a stranger. He bethought 
him of his mother, whose homely vestments he remembered to 
have seen hanging on pegs like those which he felt must belong 
to Hetty Hutter ; and he bethought himself of a sister, whose 
incipient and native taste for finery had exhibited itself some- 
what in the manner of that of Judith, though necessarily in a 
less degree. These little resemblances opened a long hidden 
vein of sensations ; and as he quitted - the room, it was with a 
saddened mien. He looked no further, but returned slowly and 
thoughtfully towards the “ door-yard.” 

“ Old Tom has taken to a new calling, and has been trying his 
liand at the traps,” cried Hurry, who had been coolly examining 
the borderer’s implements ; “ if that is his humor, and you ’re 
disposed to remain in these parts, we can make an oncommon 
comfortable season of it ; for, while the old man and I out- 
knowledge the beaver, you can fish, and knock down the deer, 
to keep body and soul together. We always give the poorest 
hunters half a share, but one as act^/ve and sartain as yourself 
might expect a full one.” 

“Thank’ee, Hurry; thank’ee, with all my heart — but I do 
a little beavering for myself as occasions offer. ’T is true, the 
Delawares call me Deerslayer, but it ’s not so much because I ’m 
pretty fatal with the venison as because tluit while I kill so 
many bucks and docs, I ’ve never yet taken the life of a fellow- 
creatur’. They say their traditions do not tell of another who 
had shed so much blood of animals that had not shed the blood 
of man.” 

“ I hope they don’t account you chicken-hearted, lad ? A 
faint-hearted man is like a no-tailed beaver.” 

“ I don’t believe. Hurry, that they account me as out-of-the- 


32 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


way timorsome, even though they may not account me as out- 
of-the-way brave. But I ’m not quarrelsome ; and that goes a 
great way towards keeping blood off the hands, among the 
hunters and redskins ; and then, Harry March, it keeps blood 
off the conscience, too.” 

“Well, for my part I account game, a redskin, and a French- 
man as pretty much the same thing ; though I ’in as onquarrel- 
some a man, too, as there is in all the colonies. I despise a 
quarreller as I do a cur-dog ; but one has no need to be over- 
scrupulsome when it’s the right time to show the flint.” 

“I look upon him as the most of a man who acts nearest 
the right. Hurry. But this is a glorious spot, and my eyes 
never a- weary looking at it ! ” 

“’Tis your first acquaintance with a lake; and these idees 
come over us all at such times. Lakes have a general char- 
acter, as I say, being pretty much water and land, and points 
and bays.” 

As this definition by no means met the feelings that were 
uppermost in the mind of the young hunter, he made no im- 
mediate answer, but stood gazing at the dark hills and the 
glassy water in silent enjoyment. 

“ Have the Governor’s or the King’s people given this lake 
a name?” he suddenly asked, as if struck with a new idea. 
“If they’ve not begun to blaze their trees, and set up their 
compasses, and line off their maps, it ’s likely they ’ve not be- 
thought them to disturb natur’ with a name.” 

“ They ’ve not got to that, yet ; and the last time I went in 
with skins, one of the King’s surveyors was questioning me 
consarning all the region hereabouts. He had heard that there 
was a lake in this quarter, and had got some general notions 
about it, such as that there was water and hills ; but how much 
of either, he know’d no more than you know of the Mohawk 
tongue. I did n’t open the trap any wider than was necessary, 
giving him but poor encouragement in the way. of farms and 


THE DEEESLAYER 


33 


clearings. In short, I left on his mind some such opinion of 
this country as a man gets of a spring of dirty water, with a 
path to it that is so muddy that one mires afore he sets out. 
He told me they had n’t got the spot down yet, on their maps ; 
though I conclude that is a mistake, for he showed me his 
parchment, and there is a lake down on it where there is no 
lake in fact, and which is about fifty miles from the place 
where it ought to be, if they meant it for this. I don’t think 
my account will encourage him to mark down another, by way 
of improvement.” 

Here Hurry laughed heartily, such tricks being particularly 
grateful to a set of men who dreaded the approaches of civiliza- 
tion as a curtailment of their own lawless empire. The egre- 
gious errors that existed in the maps of the day, all of which 
were made in Europe, were, moreover, a standing topic of 
ridicule among them ; for, if they had not science enough 
to make any better themselves, they had sufficient local in- 
formation to detect the gross blunders contained in those that 
existed. Any one who will take the trouble to compare these 
unanswerable evidences of the topographical skill of our fathers 
a century since, with the more accurate sketches of our own 
time, will at once perceive that the men of the woods had a 
sufficient justification for all their criticism on this branch of 
the skill of the colonial governments, which did not at all 
hesitate to place a river or a lake a degree or two out of the 
way, even though 'they lay within a day’s march of the in- 
habited parts of the country. 

“I’m glad it has no name,” resumed Deerslayer, “or, at 
least, no pale-face name ; for their christenings always foretell 
waste and destruction. No doubt, howsever, the redskins have 
their modes of knowing it, and the hunters and trappers, too ; 
they are likely to call the place by something reasonable and 
resembling.” 

“ As for the tribes, each has its own tongue, and its own way 

p 


34 


THE DEERSLAYER 


of calling things ; and they treat this part of the world just as 
they treat all others. Among ourselves, we Ve got to calling 
the place the ‘ Gliminerglass,’ seeing that its whole basin is so 
often fringed with pines, cast upward from its face; as if it 
would throw back the hills that hang over it.” 

“ There is an outlet, I know, for all lakes have outlets, and 
the rock at which I am to meet Chingachgook stands near an 
outlet. Has that no colony-name yet ? ” 

“ In that particular they Ve got the advantage of us, having 
one end, and that the biggest, in their own keeping : they Ve 
given it a name which has found its way up to its source ; 
names nat’rally working up stream. No doubt, Deerslayer, 
you Ve seen the Susquehannah, down in the Delaware country h ” 

“ That have I, and hunted along its banks a hundred times.” 

“ That and this are the same in fact, and, I suppose, the 
same in sound. I am glad they Ve been compelled to keep tlie 
red men’s name, for it would be too hard to rob them of both 
land and name ! ” 

Deerslayer made no answer; but he stood leaning on his 
rifle, gazing at the view which so much delighted him. The 
reader is not to suppose, however, that it was the picturesque 
alone which so strongly attracted his attention. The spot was 
very lovely, of a truth, and it was then seen in one of its most 
favorable moments, the surface of the lake being as smooth as 
glass and as limpid as pure air, throwing back the mountains, 
clothed in dark pines, along the whole of its eastern boundary, 
the points thrusting forward their trees even to nearly hori- 
zontal lines, while the bays were seen glittering through an 
occasional arch beneath, left by a vault fretted with branches 
and leaves. It was the air of deep repose — the solitudes, 
that spoke of scenes and forests untouched by the hands of man 
— the reign of nature, in a word, that gave so mucli pure 
delight to one of his habits and turn of mind. Still, he felt, 
though it was unconsciously, like a poet also. If he found a 


THE DEERSLAYER 


35 


pleasure in studying this large, and to him unusual opening 
into the mysteries and forms of the woods, as one is gratified in 
getting broader views of any subject that has long occupied 
his thoughts, he was not insensible to the innate loveliness of 
such a landscape neither, but felt a portion of that soothing 
of the spirit which is a common attendant of a scene so thor- 
oughly pervaded by the holy calm of nature. 


CHAPTER III 

“ Come, shall we go aud kill us venison? 

And yet it irks me, the poor dappled fools, — 

Being native burghers of this desert city, — 

Should, in their own confines, with forked heads 
Have their round haunches gored.” 

Shakespeare. 

Hurry Harry thought more of the beauties of Judith 
Hotter than of those of the Glimmerglass and its accompany- 
ing scenery. As soon as he had taken a sufficiently intimate 
survey of Floating Tom’s implements, therefore, he summoned 
his companion to the canoe, that they might go down the lake 
in quest of the family. Previously to embarking, however. 
Hurry carefully examined the whole of the northern end of the 
water with an indifferent ship’s glass, that formed a part of 
Hutter’s effects. In this scrutiny, no part of the shore was 
overlooked ; the bays and points in particular being subjected 
to a closer inquiry than the rest of the wooded boundary. 

“ ’ Tis as I thought,” said Hurry, laying aside the glass, 
“the old fellow is drifting about the south end this fine 
weather, and has left the castle to defend itself. Well, now 
we know that he is not up thisaway, ’t will be but a small 
matter to paddle down and hunt him up in his hiding-place.” 


36 


THE DEERSLAYEH 


“ Does Master Hutter think it necessary to burrow on this 
lake?” inquired Deerslayer, as he followed his companion into 
the canoe ; “to my eye it is such a solitude as one might open 
his whole soul in, and fear no one to disarrange his thoughts 
or his worship.” 

“You forget your friends the Mingos, and all the French sav- 
ages. Is there a spot on ’arth, Deerslayer, to which them dis- 
quiet rogues don’t go ? Where is the lake, or even the deer-lick, 
that the blackguards don’t find out; and, having found out, 
don’t sooner or later discolor its water with blood 1 ” 

“ I hear no good character of them, sartainly, friend Hurry, 
thougli I ’ve never been called on, as yet, to meet them, or any 
other mortal, on the war-path. I dare to say that such a lovely 
spot as this would not be likely to be overlooked by such plun- 
derers ; for, though I ’ve not been in the way of quarrelling with 
them tribes myself, the Delawares give me such an account of 
’em that I ’ve pretty much set ’em down, in my own mind, as 
thorough miscreants.” 

“You may do that with a safe conscience, or, for that matter, 
any other savage you may happen to meet.” 

Here Deerslayer protested, and as they went paddling down 
the lake a hot discussion was maintained concerning the respect- 
ive merits of the pale-faces and the redskins. Hurry had all 
the prejudices and antipathies of a white hunter, who generally 
regards the Indian as a sort of natural competitor, and not unfre- 
quently as a natural enemy. As a matter of course, he was loud, 
clamorous, dogmatical, and not very argumentative. Deerslayer, 
on the other hand, manifested a very different temper ; proving, 
by the moderation of his language, tlie fairness of his views, and 
the simplicity of his distinctions, that he possessed every dispo- 
sition to hear reason, a strong, innate desire to do justice, and 
an ingenuousness that was singularly indisposed to have recourse 
to sophisms to maintain an argument, or to defend a prejudice. 
Still, he was not altogether free from the influence of the latter 


THE DEERSLAYER 


37 


feeling. This tyrant of the human mind, which rushes on its 
prey through a thousand avenues, almost as soon as men begin 
to think and feel, and which seldom relinquishes its iron sway 
until they cease to do either, had made some impression on even 
the just propensities of this individual, who probably offered in 
these particulars a fair specimen of what absence from bad exam- 
ple, the want of temptation to go wrong, and native good feel- 
ing, can render youth. 

“You will allow, Deerslayer, that a Mingo is more than half 
devil,” cried Hurry, following up the discussion with an anima- 
tion that touched closely on ferocity, “ though you want to over- 
persuade me that the Delaware tribe is pretty much made up of 
angels. Now, I gainsay that proposal, consarning white men, 
even. All white men are not faultless, and therefore all Indians 
can't be faultless. And so your argument is out at the elbow 
in the start. But this is what I call reason. Here’s three 
colors on ’arth : white, black, and red. White is the highest 
color, and therefore the best man ; black comes next, and is put 
to live in the neighborhood of the white man, as tolerable, and 
fit to be made use of ; and red comes last, which shows that 
those that made ’em never expected an Indian to be accounted 
as more than half human.” 

“ God made all three alike. Hurry.” 

“ Alike ! Do you call a nigger like a white man, or me like 
an Indian 1 ” 

“ You go off at half-cock, and don’t hear me out. God made 
us all, white, black, and red ; and, no doubt, had his own wise 
intentions in coloring us differently. Still, he made us, in the 
main, much the same in feelin’s ; though I ’ll not deny that he 
gave each race its gifts. A white man’s gifts are Christianized, 
while a redskin’s are more for the wilderness. Thus, it would 
be a great offence for a white man to scalp the dead ; whereas 
it ’s a signal vartue in an Indian. Then ag’in, a white man can- 
not amboosh women and children in war, while a redskin may. 


38 


THE DEERSLAYER 


’T is cruel work, I ’ll allow ; but for them it ’s lawful work ; 
while for us, it would be grievous work.” 

“ That depends on your inimy. As for scalping, or even skin- 
ning a savage, I look upon them pretty much the same as cutting 
off the ears of wolves for the bounty, or stripping a bear of its 
hide. And tlien you ’re out significantly, as to taking the poll 
of a redskin in hand, seeing that the very colony has offered a 
bounty for the job; all tlie same as it pays for wolves’ ears and 
crows’ heads.” 

“Ay, and a bad business it is. Hurry. Even the Indians 
themselves cry shame on it, seeing it ’s ag’in a white man’s gifts. 
I do not pretend that all that white men do, is properly Chris- 
tianized, and according to the lights given them, for then they 
would be what they ought to be ; which we know they are not \ 
but I will maintain that tradition, and use, and color, and laws, 
make such a difference in races as to amount to gifts. I do not 
deny that there are tribes among the Indians that are nat’rally 
pervarse and wicked, as there are nations among the whites. 
Now, I account the Mingos as belonging to the first, and the 
Frenchers, in the Canadas, to the last. In a state of lawful 
warfare, such as we have lately got into, it is a duty to keep 
down all compassionate feelin’s, so far as life goes, ag’in either ; 
but when it comes to scalps, it’s a very different matter.” 

“Just hearken to reason, if you please, Deerslayer, and tell 
me if the colony can make an onlawful law 1 Is n’t an onlawful 
law more ag’in natur’ than scalpin’ a savage ? A law can no 
more be onlawful, than truth can be a lie.” 

“ That sounds reasonable ; but it has a most onreasonable 
bearing. Hurry. Laws don’t all come from the same quarter. 
God has given us his’n, and some come from the colony, and 
others come from the King and Parliament. When the colony’s 
laws, or even the King’s laws, run ag’in the laws of God, they 
get to be onlawful, and ought not to be obeyed. I hold to a 
white man’s respecting white laws, so long as they do not cross 


THE DEERSLAYER 


30 


the track of a law cornin’ from a higher authority ; and for a red-, 
man to obey his own redskin usages, under the same privilege. 
But, ’t is useless talking, as each man will think for liimself, and 
have his say agreeable to his f houglits. Let us keep a good look- 
out for your friend Floating Tom, lest we pass him, as he lies 
hidden under this bushy shore.” 

Deerslayer had not named the borders of the lake amiss. 
Along their whole length, the smaller trees overhung the water, 
with their branches often dipping in the transparent element. 
The banks were steep, even from the narrow strand ; and, as 
vegetation invariably struggles towards the light, the effect was 
precisely that at which the lover of the picturesque would have 
aimed, had the ordering of tliis glorious setting of forest been 
submitted to his control. The points and bays, too, were suffi- 
ciently numerous to render the outline broken and diversified. 
As the canoe kept close along the western side of the lake, with 
a view, as Hurry had explained to his companion, of reconnoi- 
tring for enemies, before he trusted himself too openly in sight, 
the expectations of the two adventurers were kept constantly on 
the stretch, as neither could foretell what the next turning of 
a point might i-eveal. Their progress was swift, the gigantic 
strength of Hurry enabling him to play with the light bark as if 
it had been a feather, while the skill of his companion almost 
equalized their usefulness, notwithstanding the disparity in 
natural means. 

Each time the canoe passed a point. Hurry turned a look be- 
hind him, expecting to see the “ ark ” anchored, or beached in 
the bay. He was fated to be disappointed, however ; and they 
had got within a mile of the southern end of the lake, or a dis- 
tance of quite two leagues from the “castle,” which was now 
hidden from view by half a dozen intervening projections of the 
land, when he suddenly ceased paddling, as if uncertain in what 
direction next to steer. 

“It is possible that the old chap has dropped into the river,” 


40 


THE DEERSLAYER 


said Hurry, after looking carefully along the whole of the east- 
ern shore, which was about a mile distant, and open to his scru- 
tiny for more than half its length ; “ for he has taken to trapping 
considerable, of late, and, barring flood- wood, he might drop 
down it a mile or so ; though he would have a most scratching 
time in getting back again ! ” 

“ Where is this outlet ?” asked Deerslayer ; “ I see no open- 
ing in the banks or the trees, that looks as if it would let a river 
like the Susquehannah run through it.” 

“ Ay, Deerslayer, rivers are like human mortals ; having small 
beginnings, and ending with broad shoulders and wide mouths. 
You don’t see the outlet, because it passes at ween high, steep 
banks ; and the pines, and hemlocks, and bass-woods hang over 
it, as a roof hangs over a house. If old Tom is not in the ‘ Rat’s 
Cove,’ he must have burrowed in the river ; we ’ll look for him 
first in the cove, and then we ’ll cross to the outlet.” 

As they proceeded. Hurry explained that there was a shallow 
bay, formed by a long, low point, that had got the name of the 
“ Rat’s Cove,” from the circumstance of its being a favorite 
haunt of the muskrat ; and which offered so complete a cover for 
the “ ark,” that its owner was fond of lying in it, whenever he 
found it convenient. 

“As a man never knows who may be his visitors, in this part 
of the country,” continued Hurry, “ it ’s a great advantage to get 
a good look at ’em afore they come too near. Now it ’s war, such 
caution is more than commonly useful, since a Canada man or a 
Mingo might get into his hut afore he invited ’em. But Hutter 
is a first-rate look-outer, and can pretty much scent danger, as a 
hound scents the deer.” 

“ I should think the castle so open, that it would be sartain 
to draw inimies, if any happened to find the lake ; a thing on- 
likely enough, I will allow, as it ’s off the trail of the forts and 
settlements.” 

“ Why, Deerslayer, I ’ve got to believe that a man meets with 


THE DEERSLAYER 


41 


inimies easier than he meets with fri’nds. It ’s skearful to think 
for how many causes one gets to be your inimy, and for how few 
your fri’jid. Some take up the hatchet because you don’t think 
just as they think ; other some because you run ahead of ’em in 
the same idees ; and I once know’d a vagabond that quarrelled 
with a fri’nd because he didn’t think him handsome. Now, 
you ’re no monument in the way of beauty, yourself, Deerslayer, 
and yet you would n’t be so onreasonable as to become my inimy 
for just saying so.” 

“ I ’m as the Lord made me ; and I wish to be accounted no 
better, nor any worse. Good looks I may not have ; that is to 
say, to a degree that the light-minded and vain crave ; but I 
hope I ’m not altogether without some ricommend in the way of 
good conduct. There ’s few nobler looking men to be seen than 
yourself, Hurry ; and I know that I am not to expect any to 
turn their eyes on me, when such a one as you can be gazed on ; 
but I do not know that a hunter is less expart with the rifle, or 
less to be relied on for food, because he does n’t wish to stop at 
every shining spring he may meet, to study his own countenance 
in the water.” 

Here Hurry burst into a fit of loud laughter ; for while he 
was too reckless to care much about his own manifest physical 
superiority, he was well aware of it, and, like most men who 
derive an advantage from the accidents of birth or nature, he was 
apt to think complacently on the subject, whenever it happened 
to cross his mind. 

“ No, no, Deerslayer, you ’re no beauty, as you will own your- 
self, if you ’ll look over the side of the canoe,” he cried ; “Jude 
will say that to your face, if you start her, for a parter tongue 
is n’t to be found in any gal’s head, in or out of the settlements, 
if you provoke her to use it. My advice to you is, never to 
aggravate Judith ; though you may tell anything to Hetty, and 
she ’ll take it as meek as a lamb. No, Jude will be just as like 
as not to tell you her opinion consarning your looks.” 


42 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“And if she does, Hurry, she will tell me no more than you 
have said already — ” 

“You’re not thick’ning up about a small remark, I hope. Deer- 
slayer, when no harm is meant. You are not a beauty, as you 
must know, and why should n’t fri’nds tell each other these little 
trides ? If you was handsome, or ever like to be, I ’d be one of 
the first to tell you of it ; and that ought to content you. Now, 
if Jude was to tell me that I ’m as ugly as a sinner, I ’d take it 
as a sort of obligation, and try not to believe her.” 

“ It ’s easy for them that natur’ has favored, to jest about such 
matters, Hurry, though it is sometimes hard for others. I’ll 
not deny but I ’ve had my cravings towards good looks ; yes, I 
have ; but then I ’ve always been able to get tliem down by con- 
sidering how many I ’ve known with fiiir outsides, who have had 
nothing to boast of inwardly. I ’ll not deny. Hurry, that I often 
wish I ’d been created more comely to the eye, and more like 
such a one as yourself, in them particulars : but then I get the 
feelin’ under by remembering how much better oft* I am, in a 
great many respects, than some fellow-mortals. I might have 
been born lame, and onfit even for a squirrel-hunt, or blind, 
which would have made me a burden on myself as well as on my 
fri’nds ; or without hearing, which would have totally onquali- 
fied me for ever campaigning or scouting ; which I look forward 
to as part of a man’s duty in troublesome times. Yes, yes ; it ’s 
not pleasant, I will allow, to see them that ’s more comely, and 
more sought a’ter, and honored than yourself ; but it may all be 
borne, if a man looks the evil in the face, and don’t mistake his 
gifts and his obligations.” 

Hurry, in the main, was a good-hearted as well as good- 
natured fellow ; and the self-abasement of his companion com- 
pletely got the better of the passing feeling of personal vanity. 
He regretted the allusion he had made to the other’s appearance, 
and endeavored to express as much, though it was done in the 
uncouth manner that belonged to the habits and opinions of the 
frontier. 


THE DEERSLAYEH 


43 


“ I mecant no harm, Deerslayer,” he answered, in a dejDrecat- 
ing manner, “and hope you ’ll forget what I ’ve said. If you’re 
not downright handsome, you ’ve a sartain look that says, plainer 
than any words, that all ’s right within. Then you set no valie 
by looks, and will the sooner forgive any little slight to your 
appearance. I will not say that Jude will greatly admire you, 
for that might raise hopes that would only breed disapp’int- 
ment ; but there ’s Hetty, now, would be just as likely to find 
satisfaction in looking at you, as in looking at any other man. 
Then you ’re altogether too grave and considerate-like, to care 
much about Judith ; for, though the gal is oncommon, she is so 
general in her admiration, that a man need not be exalted be- 
cause she happens to smile. I sometimes think the hussy loves 
herself better than she does anything else breathin’ ! ” 

“ If she did, Hurry, she’d do no more, I ’m afeard, than most 
queens on their thrones, and ladies in the towns,” answered 
Deerslayer, smiling, and turning' back towards his companion 
with every trace of feeling banished from his honest-looking and 
frank countenance. “ I never yet know’d even a Delaware of 
whom you might not say that much. But here is the end of the 
long p’int you mentioned, and the ‘ Rat’s Cove ’ can’t be far 
off.” 

This point, instead of thrusting itself forward, like all the 
others, ran in a line with the main shore of the lake, which 
here swept within it, in a deep and retired bay, circling round 
south again, at the distance of a quarter of a mile, and crossed 
the valley, forming the southern termination of the water. In 
this bay Hurry felt almost certain of finding the ark, since, 
anchored behind the trees that covered the narrow strip of the 
point, it might have lain concealed from prying eyes an entire 
summer. So complete, indeed, was the cover, in this spot, that 
a boat hauled close to the beach, within the point, and near the 
bottom of the bay, could by any possibility be seen from only 
one direction ; and that was from a densely wooded shore 


44 


THE DEERSLAYER 


within the sweep of the water, where strangers would be little 
apt to go. 

“We shall soon see the ark,” said Hurry, as the canoe glided 
round the extremity of the point, where the water was so deep 
as actually to appear black ; “he loves to burrow up among the 
rushes, and we shall be in his nest in five minutes, although the 
old fellow may be off among the traps himself.” 

March proved a false prophet. The canoe completely doubled 
the point, so as to enable the two travellers to command a view 
of the whole cove or bay, for it was more properly the last, and 
no object, but those that nature had placed there, became 
visible. The placid water swept round in a graceful curve, the 
rushes bent gently towards its surface, and the trees overhung 
it as usual ; but all lay in the soothing and sublime solitude of 
a wilderness. The scene was such as a poet or an artist would 
have delighted in, but it had no charm for Hurry Harry, who 
was burning with impatience to get a sight of his light-minded 
beauty. 

The motion of the canoe had been attended with little or no 
noise, the frontiermen habitually getting accustomed to caution 
in most of their movements, and it now lay on the glassy 
water appearing to fioat in air, partaking of the breathing still- 
ness that seemed to pervade the entire scene. At this instant 
a dry stick was heard cracking on the narrow strip of land that 
concealed the bay from the open lake. Both the adventurers 
started, and each extended a hand towards his rifle, the weapon 
never being out of reach of the arm. 

“ ’T was too heavy for any light creator’,” whispered Hurry, 
“ and it sounded like the tread of a man ! ” 

“ Not so — not so,” returned Deerslayer ; “ ’t was, as you say, 
too heavy for one, but it was too light for the other. Put your 
paddle in the water, and send the canoe in, to that log ; I ’ll 
land and cut off the creator’s retreat up the p’int, be it a Mingo, 
or be it a muskrat.” 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


45 


As Hurry complied, Deerslayer was soon on the shore, 
advancing into the thicket with a nioccasined foot, and a 
caution that prevented the least noise. In a minute he was in 
the centre of the narrow strip of land, and moving slowly down 
towards its end, the bushes rendering extreme watchfulness 
necessary. Just as he reached the centre of the thicket the 
dried twigs cracked again, and the noise was repeated at short 
intervals, as if some creature having life walked slowly towards 
the point. Hurry heard these sounds also, and pushing the 
canoe off into the bay, he seized his rifle to watch the result. 
A breathless minute succeeded, after which a noble buck walked 
out of the thicket, proceeded with a stately step to the sandy 
extremity of the point, and began to slake his thirst from the 
water of the lake. 

Hurry hesitated an instant; then raising his rifle hastily to 
his shoulder, he took sight and fired. The effect of this sudden 
interruption of the solemn stillness of such a scene was not its 
least striking peculiarity. The report of the weapon had the 
usual sharp, short sound of the rifle : but when a few moments 
of silence had succeeded the sudden crack, during which the 
noise was floating in air across the water, it reached the rocks of 
the opposite mountain, where the vibrations accumulated, and 
were rolled from cavity to cavity for miles along the hills, seem- 
ing to awaken the sleeping thunders' of the woods. The buck 
merely shook his head at the report of the rifle and the whis- 
tling of the bullet, for never before had he come in contact with 
man ; but the echoes of the hills awakened his distrust, and 
leaping forward, with his four legs drawn under his body, he 
fell at once into deep water, and began to swim towards the 
foot of the lake. Hurry shouted and dashed forward in chase, 
and for one or two minutes the water foamed around the pur- 
suer and the pursued. The former was dashing past the point, 
when Deerslayer appeared on the sand, and signed to him to 
return. 


46 


THE DEEESLAYER 


“ ’T was inconsiderate to pull a trigger afore we had recon- 
n’itered the shore, and made sartaiii that no inimies harbored 
near it,” said the latter, as his companion slowly and reluctantly 
complied. “ This much I have Famed from the Delawares, in the 
way of schooling and traditions, even tliough I ’ve never yet been 
on a war-path. And, moreover, venison can hardly be called in 
season now, and we do not want for food. . They call me Deer- 
slayer, I ’ll own ; and perhaps I desarve the name, in the way 
of understanding the creatur’s habits, as well as for sartainty in 
the aim ; but they can’t accuse me of killing an animal when 
tliere is no occasion for the meat or the skin. I may be a 
slayer, it ’s true, but I ’m no slaughterer.” 

“ ’T was an awful mistake to miss that buck ! ” exclaimed 
Hurry, dothng his cap, and running his fingers through his 
handsome but matted curls, as if he would loosen his tangled 
ideas by the process ; “ I ’ve not done so onhandy a thing since 
I was fifteen.” 

“Never lament it; the creatur’s death could have done 
neither of us any good, and might have done us harm. Them 
echoes are more awful in my ears than your mistake. Hurry ; 
for they sound like the voice of natur’ calling out ag’in a waste- 
ful and onthinking action.” 

“ You ’ll hear plenty of such calls, if you tarry long in this 
quarter of the world, lad,” returned the other, laughing. “ The 
echoes repeat pretty much all that is said or done on the 
Glimmerglass, in this calm summer weather. If a paddle falls, 
you hear of it sometimes ag’in and ag’in, as if the hills were 
mocking your clumsiness ; and a laugh or a whistle comes out 
of them pines, when they ’re in the humor to speak, in a w*ay t ■ 
make you believe they can r’ally convarse.” 

“ So much the more reason for being prudent and silent, 
do not think the inimy can have found their way into these hills 
yet, for I don’t know what they are to gain by it ; but all the 
Delawares tell me, that as courage is a warrior’s first vartue, so 


THE DEERSLAYER ^ 47 

is prudence his second. One such call, from the mountains, is 
enough to let a whole tribe into the secret of our arrival.” 

“If it does no other good, it will warn old Tom to put the 
pot over, and let him know visitors are at hand. Come, lad ; 
get into the canoe, and we will hunt the ark up while there is 
yet day.” 

Deerslayer complied, and the canoe left the spot. Its head 
was turned diagonally across the lake, pointing towards the 
southeastern curvature of the sheet. In that direction, the 
distance to the shore, or to the termination of the lake, on 
the course the two were now steering, was not quite a mile, 
and their progress being always swift, it was fast lessening, 
under the skilful but easy sweeps of the paddles. When about 
half-way across, a slight noise drew the eyes of the men towards 
the nearest land, and they saw that the buck was just emerging 
from the lake, and wading towards the beach. In a minute the 
noble animal shook the water from his flanks, gazed upwards at 
the covering of trees, and, bounding against the bank, plunged 
into the forest. 

“ That creator’ goes off with gratitude in his heart,” said 
Deerslayer, “for natur’ tells him he has escaped a great danger. 
You ought to have some of the same feelin’s, Hurry, to think 
your eye was n’t truer — that your hand was unsteady, when no 
good could come of a shot that was intended onmeaningly, rather 
than in reason.” 

“ I deny the eye and the hand,” cried March, with some heat. 
“You ’ve got a little character, down among the Delawares, 
there, for quickness and sartainty, at a deer ; but I should like 
'r.o see you behind one of them pines, and a full-painted Mingo 
behind another, each with a cocked rifle, and a-striving for the 
kihance ! Them ’s the situations, Nathaniel, to try the sight and 
fthe hand, for they begin with trying the narves. I never look 
upon killing a creatur’ as an explite ; but killing a savage is. The 
time will come to try your hand, now we ’ve got to blows ag’in. 


48 


THE DEERSLAYER 


and we shall soon know what a ven’son reputation can do in the 
field. I deny that either hand or eye was onsteady ; it was all 
a miscalculation of the buck, which stood still when he ought 
to have kept in motion, and so I shot ahead of him.” 

“ Have it your own way. Hurry ; all I contend for is, that it ’s 
lucky. I dare say I shall not pull upon a human mortal as 
steadily or with as light a heart, as I pull upon a deer.” 

“ Who ’s talking of mortals, or of human beings at all. Deer- 
slayer ? I put the matter to you on the supposition of an Injin. 
I dare say any man would have his feelin’s when it got to be 
life or death, ag’in another human mortal ; but there would be 
no such scruples in regard to an Injin ; nothing but the chance 
of his hitting you, or the chance of your hitting him.” 

“I look upon the redmen to be quite as human as we are 
ourselves. Hurry. They have their gifts, and their religion, it 's 
true ; but that makes no difference in the end, when each will 
be judged according to his deeds, and not according to his skin.” 

“ That ’s downright missionary, and will find little favor up in 
this part of the country, where the Moravians® don’t congregate. 
Now, skin makes the man. This is reason ; else how are people 
to judge of each other. The skin is put on, over all, in order 
when a creatur’, or a mortal, is fairly seen, you may know at 
once what to make of him. You know a bear from a hog, by 
his skin, and a gray squirrel from a black.” 

“ True, Hurry,” said the other looking back and smiling, 
“nevertheless, they are both squirrels.” 

“ Who denies it ? But you ’ll not say that a redman and a 
white man are both Injins ? ” 

“ No ; but I do say they are both men. Men of different 
races and colors, and having different gifts and traditions, but, 
in the main, with the same natur’. Both have souls ; and both 
will be held accountable for their deeds in this life.” 

Hurry was one of those theorists who believed in the inferior- 
ity of all the human race who were not white. His notions on 


THE DEERSLAYER 


49 

the subject were not very clear, nor were his definitions at all 
well settled ; but his opinions were none the less dogmatical or 
fierce. His conscience accused him of sundry lawless acts against 
the Indians, and he had found it an exceedingly easy mode of 
quieting it, by putting the whole family of redmen, incontinently, 
without the category of human rights. Nothing angered him 
sooner than to deny his proposition, more especially if the denial 
were accompanied by a show of plausible argument ; and he did 
not listen to his companion’s remarks with much composure of 
either manner or feeling. 

“ You ’re a boy, Deerslayer, misled and misconsaited by Dela- 
ware arts, and missionary ignorance,” he exclaimed, with his 
usual indifference to the forms of speech, when excited. “Tow 
may account yourself as a redskin’s brother, but I hold ’em all 
to be animals; with nothing human about ’em but cunning. 
2'hat they have, I ’ll allow ; but so has a fox, or even a bear. 
I ’m older than you, and have lived longer in the woods — or, for 
that matter, have lived always there, and am not to be told 
what an Injin is or what he is not. If you wish to be consid- 
ered a savage, you ’ve only to say so, and I ’ll name you as such 
to Judith and the old man, and then we’ll see how you’ll like 
your welcome.” 

Here Hurry’s imagination did his temper some service, since, 
by conjuring up the reception liis semi-aquatic acquaintance 
would be likely to bestow on one thus introduced, he burst 
into a hearty fit of laughter. Deerslayer too well knew the 
uselessness of attempting to convince such a being of anything 
against his prejudices, to feel a desire to undertake the task; 
and he was not sorry that the approach of the canoe to the 
southeastern curve of the lake gave a new direction to his ideas. 
They were now, indeed, quite near the place that March had 
pointed out for the position of the outlet, and botli began to 
look for it with a curiosity that was increased by the expecta- 
tion of finding the ark. 


£ 


50 


THE DEERSLAYER 


It may strike the reader as a little singular, that the place 
where a stream of any size passed through banks that had an 
elevation of some twenty feet, should be a matter of doubt with 
men who could not now have been more than two hundred yards 
distant from the precise spot. It will be recollected, however, 
that the trees and bushes here, as elsewhere, fairly overhung the 
water, making such a fringe to the lake, as to conceal any little 
variations from its general outline. 

“I’ve .not been down at this end of the lake these two sum- 
mers,” said Hurry, standing up in the canoe, the better to look 
about him, “ Ay, there ’s the rock, showing its chin above the 
w^ater, and I know that the river begins in its neighborhood.” 

The men now plied the paddles again, and they were presently 
within a few yards of the rock, floating towards it, though their 
efforts were suspended. This rock was not large, being merely 
some five or six feet high, only half of which elevation rose above 
tlie lake. The incessant washing of the w'ater for centuries had 
so rounded its summit, that it resembled a large beehive in shape, 
its form being more than usually regular and even. Hurry re- 
marked, as they floated slowly past, that this rock was well 
known to all the Indians in that part of the country, and that 
they were in the practice of using it as a mark to designate the 
place of meeting, when separated by their hunts and marches. 

“And here is the river, Deerslayer,” he continued, “though 
so shut in by trees and bushes as to look more like an and-bush, 
than the outlet of such a sheet as the Glimmerglass.” 

Hurry had not badly described the place, which did truly 
seem to be a stream lying in ambush. The high banks might 
have been a hundred feet asunder ; but, on the western side, a 
small bit of low land extended so far forward as to diminish the 
breadth of the stream to half that width. As the bushes hung 
in the water beneath, and pines that had the stature of church- 
steeples rose in tall columns above, all inclining towards the 
light, until their branches intermingled, the eye, at a little dis- 


THE DEERSLAYER 


51 


tance, could not easily detect any opening in the shore, to mark 
the egress of the water. In the forest above, no traces of this 
outlet were to be seen from the lake, the whole presenting tlie 
same connected and seemingly interminable carpet of leaves. As 
the canoe slowly advanced, sucked in by the current, it entered 
beneath an arch of trees, through which the light from the 
heavens struggled by casual openings, faintly relieving the gloom 
beneath. 

“ This is a nat’ral and-bush,” half whispered Hurry, as if he 
felt that the place was devoted to secrecy and watchfulness ; 
“ depend on it, old Tom has burrowed with the ark somewhere 
in this quarter. We will drop down with the current a short 
distance, and ferret him out.” 

“ This seems no place for a vessel of any size,” returned the 
other; “it appears to me that we shall have hardly room 
enough for the canoe.” 

Hurry laughed at the suggestion, and, as it soon appeared, 
with reason ; for the fringe of bushes immediately on the shore 
of the lake was no sooner passed, than the adventurers found 
themselves in a narrow stream, of a sufficient depth of limpid 
water, with a strong current, and a canopy of leaves upheld by 
arches composed of the limbs of hoary trees. Bushes lined the 
shores, as usual, but they left sufficient space between them to 
admit the passage of anything that did not exceed twenty feet 
in width, and to allow of a perspective ahead of eight or ten 
times that distance. 

Neither of our two adventurers used his paddle, except to 
keep the light bark in tlie centre of the current, but botli 
watched each turning of the stream, of wliich there were two 
or three within the first hundred yards, with jealous vigilance. 
Turn after turn, however, was passed, and the canoe had 
dropped down with the current some little distance, when 
Hurry caught a bush, and arrested its movement so suddenly 
and silently as to denote some unusual motive for the act. 


52 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


Deerslayer laid his hand on the stock of his rifle as soon as he 
noted this proceeding, but it was quite as much with a hunter’s 
liabit as from any feeling of alarm. 

“ There the old fellow is ! ” whispered Hurry, pointing with 
a Anger, and laughing heartily, though he carefully avoided 
making a noise, “ ratting it away, just as I supposed ; up to 
his knees in the mud and water, looking to the traps and the 
bait. But for the life of me I can see nothing of the ark ; 
though I’ll bet every skin I take this season, Jude isn’t trust- 
ing her pretty little feet in the neighborhood of that black 
mud. The gal ’s more likely to be braiding her hair by the side 
of some spring, where she can see her own good looks, and col- 
lect scornful feelings ag’in us men.” 

“You over-judge young women — yes, you do. Hurry — who 
as often bethink them of their failings as they do of their per- 
fections. I dare to say this Judith, now, is no such admirer 
of herself, and no such scorner of our sex as you seem to think ; 
and that she is quite as likely to be sarving her father in the 
house, wherever that may be, as he is to be sarving her among 
the traps.” 

“ It ’s a pleasure to hear truth from a man’s tongue, if it be 
only once in a girl’s life,” cried a pleasant, rich, and yet soft 
female voice, so near the canoe as to make both the listeners 
start. “As for you, Master Hurry, fair words are so apt to 
choke you, that I no longer expect to hear them from your 
mouth ; the last you uttered sticking in your throat, and com- 
ing near to death. But I ’m glad to see you keep better society 
than formerly, and that they who know how to esteem and 
treat women are not ashamed to journey in your company.” 

As this was said, a singularly handsome and youthful female 
face was thrust through an opening in the leaves, within reach 
of Deerslayer’s paddle. Its owner smiled graciously on the 
young man ; and the frown that she cast on Hurry, though 
simulated and pettish, had the effect to render her beauty 


THE DEERSLAYER 


.53 


more striking, by exhibiting the play of an expressive but 
capricious countenance; one that seemed to change from the 
soft to the severe, the mirthful to the reproving, with facility 
and indifference. 

A second look explained the nature of the surprise. Un- 
wittingly, the men had dropped alongside of the ark, which had 
been purposely concealed in bushes cut and arranged for the 
purpose ; and Judith Hutter had merely pushed aside the leaves 
that lay before a window, in order to show her face, and speak 
to them. 


CHAPTER IV 

“ And that timid fawn starts not with fear, 

When I steal to her secret bower ; 

And that young May violet to me is dear, 

And I visit the silent streamlet near, 

To look on the lovely flower.” 

Bryant. 

• 

The ark, as the floating habitation of the Hutters was gen- 
erally called, was a very simple contrivance. A large flat, or 
scow, composed the buoyant part of the vessel ; and in its cen- 
tre, occupying the whole of its breadth, and about two-thirds 
of its length, stood a low fabric, resembling the castle in con- 
struction, though made of materials so light as barely to be 
bullet-proof. As the sides of the scow were a little higher than 
usual, and the interior of the cabin had no more elevation than 
was necessary for comfort, this unusual addition had neither a 
very clumsy nor a very obtrusive appearance. It was, in short, 
little more than a modern canal-boat, though more rudely con- 
structed, of greater breadth than common, and bearing about it 
the signs of the wilderness, in its bark-covered posts and roof. 
The scow, however, had been put together with some skill, be- 


54 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


ing comparatively light, for its strength, and sufficiently man- 
ageable. The cabin was divided into two apartments, one of 
which served for a parlor, and the sleeping-room of the father, 
and the other was appropriated to the uses of the daughters. 
A very simple arrangement sufficed for the kitchen, which w^as 
in one end of the scow, and removed from the cabin, standing 
in the open air ; the ark being altogether a summer habitation. 

The “and-bush,” as Hurry in his ignorance of English termed 
it, is quite as easily explained. In many parts of the lake and 
river, where the banks were steep and high, the smaller trees 
and larger bushes, as has been already mentioned, fairly over- 
hung the stream, their branches not unfrequently dipping into 
the water. In some instances they grew out in nearly hori- 
zontal lines, for thirty or forty feet. The water being uni- 
formly deepest near the shores, where the banks were highest 
and the nearest to a perpendicular, Hutter had found no 
difficulty in letting the ark drop under one of these covers, 
where it had been anchored with a view to conceal its position ; 
security requiring some such precautions, in his view of the case. 
Once beneath the trees and bushes, a few stones fastened to the 
ends of the branches had caused them to bend sufficiently to dip 
into the river ; and a few severed bushes, properly disposed, did 
the rest. The reader has seen that this cover was so complete 
as to deceive two men accustomed to the woods, and who were 
actually in search of those it concealed ; a circumstance that will 
be easily understood by those who are familiar with the matted 
and wild luxuriance of a virgin American forest, more especially 
in a rich soil. 

The discovery of the ark produced very different effects on 
our two adventurers. As soon as the canoe could be got round 
to the proper opening. Hurry leaped on board, and in a minute 
was closely engaged in a gay, and a sort of recriminating dis- 
course with Judith, apparently forgetful of the existence of all 
the rest of the world. Not so with Deerslayer. He entered 


THE DEERSLAYER 


55 


the ark with a slow, cautious step, examining every arrange- 
ment of the cover with curious and scrutinizing eyes. It is 
true, he cast one admiring glance at Judith, which was extorted 
by her brilliant and singular beauty ; but even this could detain 
him but a single instant from the indulgence of his interest 
in Hutter’s contrivances. Step by step did he look into the 
construction of the singular abode, investigate its fastenings 
and strength, ascertain its means of defence, and make every 
inquiry that would be likely to occur to one whose thoughts 
dwelt principally on such expedients. Nor was the cover 
neglected. Of this he examined the whole minutely, his com- 
mendation escaping him more than once, in audible comments. 
Frontier usages admitting of this familiarity, he passed through 
the rooms as he had previously done at the castle ; and, opening 
a door, issued into the end of the scow opposite to that where he 
had left Hurry and Judith. Here he found the other sister, 
employed on some coarse needlework, seated beneath the leafy 
canopy of the cover. 

As Deerslayer’s examination was by this time ended, he dropped 
the butt of his rifle, and, leaning on the barrel with both hands, 
he turned toward the girl with an interest the singular beauty 
of her sister had not awakened. He had gathered from Hurry’s 
remarks that Hetty was considered to have less intellect than 
ordinarily falls to the share of human beings ; and his educa- 
tion among Indians had taught him to treat those who were 
thus afflicted by Providence, with more than common tender- 
ness. Nor was there anything in Hetty Hutter’s appearance, 
as so often happens, to weaken the interest her situation ex- 
cited. An idiot she could not properly be termed, her mind 
being just enough enfeebled to lose most of those traits that 
are connected with the more artful qualities, and to retain its 
ingenuousness and love of truth. It had often been remarked 
of this girl, by the few who had seen her, and who possessed 
sufficient knowledge to discriminate, that her perception of the 


56 


THE DEERSLAYER 


right seemed almost intuitive, while her aversion to the wrong 
formed so distinctive a feature of her mind, as to surround her 
with an atmosphere of pure morality; peculiarities that are 
not unfrequent with persons who are termed feeble-minded ; as 
if God had forbidden the evil spirits to invade a precinct so 
defenceless, with the benign purpose of extending a direct pro- 
tection to those who have been left without the usual aids of 
humanity. Her person, too, was agreeable, having a strong 
resemblance to that of her sister, of which it was a subdued and 
humble copy. If it had none of the brilliancy of Judith’s, the 
calm, quiet, almost holy expression of her meek countenance, 
seldom failed to win on the observer; and few noted it long, 
that did not begin to feel a deep and lasting interest in the girl. 
She had no color, in common, nor was her simple mind apt to 
present images that caused her cheek to brighten ; though she 
retained a modesty so innate, that it almost raised her to the 
unsuspecting purity of a being superior to human infirmities. 
Guileless, innocent, and without distrust, equally by nature 
and from her mode of life. Providence had, nevertheless, shielded 
her from harm by a halo of moral light, as it is said “to 
temper the wind to the shorn lamb.” 

“You are Hetty Hutter,” said Deerslayer, in the way one 
puts a question unconsciously to himself, assuming a kindness 
of tone and manner that were singularly adapted to win the 
confidence of her he addressed. “ Hurry Harry has told me of 
you, and I know you must be the child ? ” 

“Yes, I ’m Hetty Hutter,” returned the girl, in a low, sweet 
voice, which nature, aided by some education, had preserved 
from vulgarity of tone and utterance : “I’m Hetty ; Judith 
Hutter’s sister, and Thomas Hutter’s youngest daughter.” 

“ I know your history, then, for Hurry Harry talks consid- 
erable, and he is free of speech, when he can find other people’s 
consarns to dwell on. You pass most of your life on the lake, 
Hetty.” 


THE DEERSLA YER 57 

“ Certainly. Mother is dead ; father is gone a-trapping, and 
Judith and I stay at home. What’s pour name?” 

“ That ’s a question more easily asked than it is answered, 
young woman ; seeing that I ’m so young, and yet have borne 
more names than some of the greatest chiefs in all America.” 

“But you’ve got a name — you don’t throw away one name 
before you come honestly by another ? ” 

“I hope not, gal — I hope not. My names have come nat’- 
rally; and I suppose the one I bear now wdll be of no great 
lasting, since the Delawares seldom settle on a man’s r’al title, 
until such time as he has opportunity of showing his true natur’, 
in the council or on the war-path ; which has never behappened 
me ; seeing, firstly, because I ’m not born a redskin, and have 
no right to sit in their councillings, and am much too humble 
to be called on for opinions from the great of my own color ; 
and, secondly, because this is the first war that has befallen in 
my time, and no inimy has yet inroaded far enough into the 
colony to be reached by an arm even longer than mine.” 

“Tell me your names,” added Hetty, looking up at him art- 
lessly, “and, maybe. I’ll tell you your character.” 

“ There is some truth in that, I ’ll not deny, though it often 
fails. Men are deceived in other men’s characters, and fre- 
quently give ’em names they by no means desarve. You can 
see the truth of this in the Mingo names, which, in their own 
tongue, signify the same things as the Delaware names, — at 
least, so they tell me, for I know little of that tribe, unless it 
be by report, — and no one can say they are as honest or as 
upright a nation. I put no great dependence, therefore, on 
names.” 

~ “ Tell me all your names,” repeated the girl, earnestly, for 
her mind was too simple to separate things from professions, 
and she did attach importance to a name ; “I want to know 
what to think of you.” 

“ Well, sartain ; I ’ve no objection, and you shall hear them 


58 


THE DEER8LAYER 


all. In the first place, then, I ’m Christian, and white-born, 
like yourself, and my parents had a name that came down from 
father to son, as is a part of their gifts. My father was called 
Bumppo ; and I was named after him, of course, the given 
name being Nathaniel, or Natty, as most people saw fit to 
tarm it.” 

“Yes, yes — Natty — and Hetty” — interrupted the girl 
quickly, and looking up from her work again, with a smile : 
“you are Natty, and I’m Hetty — though you are Bumppo, 
and I ’m Hutter. Bumppo is n’t as pretty as Hutter, is it ? ” 

“Why, that ’s as people fancy. Bumppo has no lofty sound, 
I admit ; and yet men have bumped through the world with 
it. I did not go by this name, howsever, very long ; for tlie 
Delawares soon found out, or thought they found out, that I 
was not given to lying, and they called me, firstly, ‘ Straight- 
tongue.’ ” 

“ That ’s a good name,” interrupted Hetty, earnestly, and 
in a positive manner ; “ don’t tell me there ’s no virtue in 
names ! ” 

“ I do not say that^ for perhaps I desarved to be so called, 
lies being no favorites with me, as they are with some. After 
a while they found out that I was quick of foot, and then they 
called me ‘ The Pigeon ’ ; which, you know, has a swift wing, 
and flies in a direct line.” 

“ That was a pretty name ! ” exclaimed Hetty ; “ pigeons 
are pretty birds ! ” 

“Most things that God has created are pretty in their way, 
my good gal, though they get to be deformed by mankind, so 
as to change their natur’s, as well as their appearance. From 
carrying messages, and striking blind trails, I got at last to 
following the hunters, when it was thought I was quicker and 
surer at finding the game than most lads, and then they called 
me the ‘ Lap-ear ’ ; as, they said, I partook of the sagacity of a 
hound.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 59 

“ That ’s not so pretty,” answered Hetty; “ I hope you did n’t 
keep that name long.” 

“Not after I was rich enough to buy a rifle,” returned the 
other, betraying a little pride through his usually quiet and 
subdued manner; ’‘'‘then it was seen I could keep a wigwam 
in ven’son ; and in time I got the name of ‘ Deerslayer,’ which 
is that I now bear ; homely as some will think it, who set more 
valie on the scalp of a fellow-mortal than on the horns of a 
buck.” 

“ Well, Deerslayer, I ’m not one of them,” answered Hetty, 
simply; “Judith likes soldiers, and flary coats, and fine feath- 
ers ; but they ’re all naught to me. She says the officers are 
great, and gay, and of soft speech ; but they make me shudder, 
for their business is to kill their fellow-creatures. I like your 
calling better ; and your last name is a very good one — better 
than Natty Bumppo.” 

“This is nat’ral in one of your turn of mind, Hetty, and 
much as I should have expected. They tell me your sister is 
handsome — oncommon, for a mortal ; and beauty is apt to seek 
admiration.” 

“ Did you never see Judith ?” demanded the girl, with quick 
earnestness; “if you never have, go at once and look at her. 
Even Hurry Harry is n’t more pleasant to look at ; though %he 
is a woman, and he is a man.” 

Deerslayer regarded the girl for a moment with concern. Her 
pale face had flushed a little, and her eye, usually so mild and 
serene, brightened as she spoke, in the way to betray the inward 
impulses. 

“Ay, Hurry Harry,” he muttered to himself, as he walked 
through the cabin towards the other end of the boat; “this 
comes of good looks, if a light tongue has had no consarn in 
it. It ’s easy to see which way that poor creatur’s feelin’s are 
loanin’, whatever may be the case with your Jude’s.” 

But an interruption was put to the gallantly of Hurry, the 


60 


THE BEERSLAYER 


coquetry of his mistress, the thoughts of Deerslayer, and the 
gentle feelings of Hetty, by the sudden appearance of the canoe 
of the ark’s owner, in the narrow opening among the bushes 
that served as a sort of moat to his position. It would seem 
that Hutter, or Floating Tom, as he was familiarly called by 
all the hunters who knew his habits, recognized the canoe of 
Hurry, for he expressed no surprise at finding him in the scow. 
On the contrary, his reception was such as to denote not only 
gratification, but a pleasure, mingled with a little disappoint- 
ment at his not having made his appearance some days sooner. 

“I looked for you last week,” he said, in a half-grumbling, 
half- welcoming manner; “and was disappointed uncommonly 
that you did n’t arrive. There came a runner through, to warn 
all the trappers and hunters that the colony and the Canadas 
were again in trouble ; and I felt lonesome, up in these moun- 
tains, with three scalps to see to, and only one pair of hands to 
protect them.” 

“That’s reasonable,” returned March; “and ’twas feeling 
like a parent. No doubt, if I had two such darters as Judith 
and Hetty, my exper’ence would tell the same story, though in 
gin’ral I am just as well satisfied with having the nearest neigh- 
bor fifty miles off, as when he is within call.” 

“Notwithstanding, you didn’t choose to come into the wil- 
derness alone, now you knew that the Canada savages are likely 
to be stirring,” returned Hutter, giving a sort of distrustful, and 
at the same time inquiring glance at Deerslayer. 

“ Why should I ? They say a bad companion, on a journey, 
helps to shorten the path ; and this young man I account to be 
a reasonably good one. This is Deerslayer, old Tom, a noted 
hunter among the Delawares, and Christian-born, and Christian- 
edicated, too, like you and me. The lad is not parfect, perhaps, 
but there ’s worse men in the country that he came from, and 
it ’s likely he ’ll, find some that ’s no better, in this part of the 
world. Should we have occasion to defend our traps, and the 


THE DEERSLAYER 61 

territory, he’ll be useful in feeding us all; for he’s a reg’lar 
dealer in ven’son.” 

“ Young man, you are welcome,” growled Tom, thrusting a 
hard, bony hand towards the youth, as a pledge of his sincerity ; 
“ in such times, a white face is a friend’s, and I count on you 
as a support. Children sometimes make a stout heart feeble, 
and these two daughters of mine give me more concern than all 
my traps, and skins, and rights in the country.” 

“That’s nat’ral !” cried Hurry. “Yes, Deerslayer, you and 
I don’t know it yet by experience; but, on the whole, I con- 
sider that as nat’ral. If we had darters, it ’s more than prob- 
able we should have some such feelin’s ; and I honor the man 
that owns ’em. As for Judith, old man, I enlist, at once, as 
her soldier, and here is Deerslayer to help you to take care of 
Hetty.” 

“ Many thanks to you, Master March,” returned the beauty, 
in a full, rich voice, and with an accuracy of intonation and 
utterance that she shared in common with her sister, and which 
showed that she had been better taught than her father’s life 
and appearance would give reason to expect ; “ many thanks to 
you ; but Judith Hutter has the spirit and the experience that 
will make her depend more on herself than on good-looking 
rovers like you. Should there be need to face the savages, do 
you land with my father, instead of burrowing in the huts, 
under the show of defending us females, and — ” 

“Girl — girl,” interrupted the father, “quiet that glib tongue 
of thine, and hear the truth. There are savages on the lake 
shore already, and no man can say how near to us they may be 
at this very moment, or when we may hear more from them ! ” 

“If this be true. Master Hutter,” said Hurry, whose change 
of countenance denoted how serious he deemed the information, 
though it did not denote any unmanly alarm, “ if this be true, 
your ark is in a most misfortunate position, for, though the 
cover did deceive Deerslayer and myself, it would hardly be 


62 


THE DEE US LAYER 


overlooked by a full-blooded Injiii, who was out seriously in 
s’arch of scalps ! ” 

“ I think as you do, Hurry, and wish, with all my heart, we 
lay anywhere else, at this moment, than in this narrow, crooked 
stream, which has many advantages to hide in, but which is 
almost fatal to them that are discovered. The savages are near 
us, moreover, and the difficulty is, to get out of the river with- 
out being shot down like deer standing at a lick ! ” 

“ Are you sartain. Master Hutter, that the redskins you 
dread are ra’al Canadas?” asked Deerslayer, in a modest but 
earnest manner. “ Have you seen any, and can you describe 
their paint ? ” 

“ I have fallen in with the signs of their being in the neigh- 
borhood, but have seen none of ’em. I was down stream a 
mile or so, looking to my traps, when I struck a fresh trail, 
crossing the corner of a swamp, and moving northward. The 
man had not passed an hour ; and I know’d it for an Indian 
footstep, by the size of tlie foot, and the intoe, even before I 
found a worn moccasin, which its owner had dropped as use- 
less. For that matter, I found the spot where he halted to 
make a new one, which was only a few yards from the place 
where he had dropped tlie old one.” 

“That doesn’t look much like a redskin on the warpath !” 
returned the other, shaking his head. “ An exper’enced war- 
rior, at least, would have burned, or buried, or sunk in the 
river such signs of his passage ; and your trail is, cpiite likely, 
a peaceable trail. But the moccasin may greatly relieve my 
mind, if you bethought you of bringing it off. I ’ve come here 
to meet a young chief myself ; and his course would be much 
in the direction you ’ve mentioned. The trail may have been 
his’n.” 

“ Hurry Harry, you ’re well acquainted with this young man, 
I hope, who has meetings with savages in a part of the country 
where he has never been before ? ” demanded Hutter, in a tone 


THE DEERSLAYER 


63 


and in a manner that sufficiently indicated the motive of the 
question ; these rude beings seldom hesitating, on the score of 
delicacy, to betray their feelings. “Treachery is an Indian 
virtue ; and the whites, that live much in their tribes, soon 
catch their ways and practices.” 

“ True — true as the Gospel, old Tom ; but not personable 
to Deerslayer, who ’s a young man of truth, if he has no other 
ricommend. 1 11 answer for his honesty, whatever I may do 
for his valor in battle.” 

“I should like to know his errand in this strange quarter of 
the country.” 

“ That is soon told. Master Hutter,” said the young man, 
with the composure of one who kept a clean conscience. “ I 
think, moreover, you Ve a right to ask it. The father of two 
such darters, who occupies a lake, after your fashion, has just 
the same right to inquire into a stranger’s business in his 
neighborhood, as the colony would have to demand the reason 
why the Trenchers put more rijiments than common along the 
lines. No, no, I ’ll not deny your right to know why a stranger 
comes into your habitation or country, in times as serious as 
these.” 

“If such is your way of thinking, friend, let me hear your 
story without more words.” 

“ ’T is soon told, as I said afore ; and shall be honestly told. 
I ’m a young man, and, as yet, have never been on a war-path ; 
but no sooner did the news come among the Delawares, that 
wampum and a hatchet were about to be sent in to the tribe, 
than they wished me to go out among the people of my own 
color, and get the exact state of things for ’em. This I did, 
and, after delivering my talk to the chiefs, on my return, I 
met an officer of the crown on the Schoharie, who' had moneys 
to send to some of the friendly tribes, that live farther west. 
This was thought a good occasion for Chingachgook, a young 
chief who had never struck a foe, and myself, to go on our first 


64 


THE DEERSLAYER 


war-path in company; and an app’intraent was made for us, 
by an old Delaware, to meet at the rock near the foot of this 
lake. I ’ll not deny that Chingachgook has another object in 
view, but it has no consarn with any here, and is his secret, 
and not mine; therefore I ’ll say no more about it.” 

“’Tis something about a young woman,” interrupted Judith, 
hastily ; then laughing at her own impetuosity, and even hav- 
ing the grace to color a little at the manner in which she had 
betrayed her readiness to impute such a motive. “ If ’t is 
neither war nor a hunt, it must be love.” 

“ Ay, it comes easy for the young and handsome, who hear 
so much of them feelin’s, to suppose that they lie at the bottom 
of most proceedin’s ; but, on that head, I say nothin’. Chin- 
gachgook is to meet me at the rock an hour afore sunset to- 
morrow evening, after which we shall go our way together, 
molesting none but the king’s inimies, who are lawfully our 
own. Knowing Hurry of old, who once trapped in our hunt- 
ing-grounds, and falling in with him on the Schoharie, ° just as 
he was on the p’int of starting for his summer ha’nts, we agreed 
to journey in company ; not so much from fear of the Mingos 
as from good fellowship, and, as he says, to shorten a long 
road.” 

“ And you think the trail I saw may have been that of your 
friend, ahead of his time ? ” said Hutter. 

“ That ’s my idee ; which may be wrong, but which may be 
right. If I saw the moccasin, however, I could tell in a 
minute whether it is made in the Delaware fashion or not.” 

“ Here it is, then,” said the quick-witted Judith, who had 
already gone to the canoe in quest of it ; “ tell us what it says ; 
friend or enemy. You look honest ; and I believe all you say, 
whatever father may tliink.” 

“ That ’s the way with you, Jude; forever finding out friends, 
where I distrust foes,” grumbled Tom; “but speak out, young 
man, and tell us what you think of the moccasin.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


65 


' “ That ’s not Delaware-made,” returned Deerslayer, examining 

the worn and rejected covering for the foot with a cautious eye; 
“I’m too young on a war-path to be positive, but I should say 
that moccasin has a northern look, and comes from beyond the 
j great lakes.” 

I “If such is the case, we ought not to lie here a minute longer 
than is necessary,” said Hutter, glancing through the leaves of 
his cover, as if he already distrusted tlie presence of an enemy 
I on the opposite shore of the narrow and sinuous stream. “It 
, wants but an hour or so of night, and to move in the dark will 
be impossible, without making a noise that would betray us. 
Did you hear the echo of a piece in the mountains, half-an-hour 
since 1 ” , 

“ Yes, old man, and heard the piece itself,” answered Hurry, 
who now felt the indiscretion of which he had been guilty, “ for 
the last was fired from my own shoulder.” 

“I feared it came from the French Indians®; still it may put 
them on the look-out, and be a means of discovering us. You 
did wrong to fire in war-time, unless there was good occasion.” 

“So I begin to think myself. Uncle Tom ; and yet, if a man 
can’t trust himself to let off his rifle in a wilderness that is a 
thousand miles square, lest some inimy should hear it, where ’s 
the use in carrying one ? ” 

Hutter now held a long consultation with his two guests, in 
which the parties came to a true understanding of their situa- 
tion. He explained the difliculty that would exist in attempt- 
ing to get the ark out of so swift and narrow a stream, in the 
dark, without making a noise that could not fail to attract 
Indian ears. Any strollers in their vicinity would keep near 
the river or the lake ; but the former had swampy shores in 
many places, and was both so crooked and so fringed with 
bushes, that it was quite possible to move by daylight without 
incurring much danger of being seen. More was to be appre- 
hended, perhaps, from the ear than from the eye, especially as 


66 


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long as they were in the short, straitened, and canopied reaches 
of the stream. 

“ I never drop down into this cover, which is handy to my 
traps, and safer than the lake, from curious eyes, without pro- 
viding the means of getting out ag’in,” continued this singular 
being; “and that is easier done by a pull than a push. My 
anchor is now lying above the suction, in the open lake ; and 
here is a line, you see, to haul us up to it. Without some such 
help, a single pair of hands would make heavy work in forcing 
a scow like this up stream. I have a sort of a crab, too, that 
lightens the pull, on occasion. Jude can use the oar astarn as 
well as myself ; and when we fear no enemy, to get out of the 
river gives us but little trouble.” 

“What should we gain. Master Hutter, by changing the 
position 1 ” asked Deerslayer, with a good deal of earnestness ; 
“ this is a safe cover, and a stout defence might be made from 
the inside of this cabin. I Ve never fou’t unless in the way of 
tradition ; but it seems to me we might beat off twenty Mingos, 
with palisades like them afore us.” 

“ Ay, ay ; you ’ve never fought except in traditions, that ’s 
plain enough, young man ! Did you ever see as broad a sheet 
of water as this above us, before you came in upon it with 
Hurry?” 

“ I can’t say that I ever did,” Deerslayer answered, mod- 
estly. “ Youth is the time to I’arn ; and I ’m far from wishing 
to raise my voice in counsel, afore it is justified by exper’ence.” 

“Well, then, 1 ’ll teach you the disadvantage of fighting in 
this position, and the advantage of taking to the open lake. 
Here, you may see, the savages will know where to aim every 
shot ; and it would be too much to hope that some would not 
find their way through the crevices of the logs. Now, on the 
other hand, we should have nothing but a forest to aim at. 
Then we are not safe from fire, here, the bark of this roof being 
little better than so much kindling-wood. The castle, too. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


67 


I might be entered and ransacked in my absence, and all my 
! possessions overrun and destroyed. Once in the lake, we can 
be attacked only in boats or on rafts — shall have a fair chance 
with the enemy — and can protect the castle with the ark. Do 
you understand this reasoning, youngster ? ” 

“It sounds well — yes, it has a rational sound ; and I ’ll not 
gainsay it.” 

“Well, old Tom,” cried Hurry, “if we are to move, the sooner 
! we make a beginning, the sooner we shall know whether we are 
. to have our scalps for nightcaps, or not.” 

I As this proposition was self-evident, no one denied its justice. 

. The three men, after a short preliminary explanation, now set 
about their preparations to move the ark in earnest. The slight 
fastenings were quickly loosened ; and, by hauling on the line, 
the heavy craft slowly emerged from the cover. It was no 
sooner free from the encumbrance of the branches, than it swung 
into the stream, sheering quite close to the western shore, by 
the force of the current. Not a 'soul on board heard the 
rustling of the branches, as the cabin came against the bushes 
and trees of the western bank, without a feeling of uneasiness ; 
for no one knew at what moment, or in what place, a secret 
and murderous enemy might unmask himself. Perhaps the 
gloomy light that still struggled through the impending canopy 
of leaves, or found its way through the narrow, ribbon-like 
opening, which seemed to mark, in the air above, the course of 
the river that flowed beneath, aided in augmenting the appear- 
ance of the danger; for it was little more than sufficient to 
render objects visible, without giving up all their outlines at 
a glance. Although the sun had not absolutely set, it had 
withdrawn its direct rays from the valley; and the hues of 
evening were beginning to gather around objects that stood 
uncovered, rendering those within the shadows of the woods 
still more sombre and gloomy. 

No interruption followed the movement, however, and, as the 


68 


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men continued to haul on the line, the ark passed steadily 
ahead, the great breadth of the scow preventing its sinking into 
the water, and from offering much resistance to the progress of 
the swift element beneath its bottom. Hutter, too, had adopted 
a precaution suggested by experience, which might have done 
credit to a seaman, and which completely prevented any of the 
annoyances and obstacles which otherwise would have attended 
the short turns of the river. As the ark descended, heavy 
stones, attached to the line, were dropped in the centre of the 
stream, forming local anchors, each of which was kept from drag- 
ging by the assistance of those above it, until the uppermost of 
all was reached, which got its “ backing ” from the anchor, or 
grapnel, that lay well out in the lake. In consequence of this 
expedient the ark floated clear of the incumbrances of the shore, 
agiiinst which it would otherwise have been unavoidably hauled 
at every turn, pro:lucing embarrassments that Hutter, single- 
handed, would have found it very difficult to overcome. 

Favored by this foresight, and stimulated by the apprehension 
of discovery. Floating Tom and his two athletic companions 
hauled the ark ahead with quite as much rapidity as comported 
with the strength of the line. At every turn in the stream, a 
stone was raised from the bottom, when the direction of the 
scow changed to one that pointed towards the stone that lay 
above. In this maimer, with the channel buoyed out for him, 
as a sailor might term it, did Hutter move forward, occasionally 
urging his friends, in a low and guarded voice, to increase their 
exertions, and then, as occasions offered, warning them against 
efforts that might, at particular moments, endanger all by too 
much zeal. In spite of their long familiarity with the woods, 
the gloomy character of the shaded river added to the uneasiness 
that each felt ; and when the ark reached the first bend in the 
Susquehannah, and the eye caught a glimpse of the broader 
expanse of the lake, all felt a relief, that perhaps none would 
have been willing to confess. Here the last stone was raised 


THE DEERSLAYER 


69 


from the bottom, and the line led directly towards the grapnel, 
which, as Hutter had explained, was dropped above the suction 
of the current. 

“ Thank God ! ” ejcaulated Hurry, “ there is day-light, and 
we shall soon have a chance of seeing our inimies, if we are to 
feel ’em.” 

“That is more than you or any man can say,” growled Hutter. 
“ There is no spot so likely to harbor a party as the shore around 
the outlet, and the moment we clear these trees and get into 
open water, will be the most tiying time, since it will leave the 
enemy a cover, while it puts us out of one. Judith, girl, do 
you and Hetty leave the oar to take care of itself, and go within 
the cabin ; and be mindful not to show your faces at a window ; 
for they who will look at them won’t stop to praise their beauty. 
And now, Hurry, we ’ll step into this outer room ourselves, and 
haul through the door, where we shall all be safe, from a surprise, 
at least. Friend Deerslayer, as the current is lighter, and the 
line has all the strain on it that is prudent, do you keep moving 
from window to window, taking care not to let your head be 
seen, if you set any value on life. No one knows when or 
where we shall hear from our neighbors.” 

Deerslayer complied, with a sensation that had nothing in 
common with fear, but which had all the interest of a perfectly 
novel and a most exciting situation. For the first time in his 
life he was in the vicinity of enemies, or had good reason to think 
so; and that, too, under all the thrilling circumstances of Indian 
surprises and Indian artifices. As he took his stand at the win- 
dow, the ark was just passing through the narrowest part of 
the stream, a point where the water first entered what was 
properly termed the river, and where the trees fairly interlocked 
overhead, causing the current to rush into an arch of verdure ; 
a feature as appropriate and peculiar to the country, perhaps, as 
that of Switzerland, where the rivers come rushing literally 
from chambers of ice. 


70 


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The ark was in the act of passing the last curve of this leafy 
entrance, as Deerslayer, having examined all that could be seen 
of the eastern bank of the river, crossed the room to look from 
the opposite window, at the western. His arrival at this aper- 
ture was most opportune, for he had no sooner placed his eye at 
a crack, than a sight met his gaze that might well have alarmed 
a sentinel so young and inexperienced. A sapling overhung the 
water, in nearly half a circle, having first grown towards the 
light, and then been pressed down into this form by the weight 
of the snows ; a circumstance of common occurrence in the 
American woods. On this no less than six Indians had already 
appeared, others standing ready to follow them, as they left 
room ; each evidently bent on running out on the trunk, and 
dropping on the roof of the ark as it passed beneath. This 
would have been an exploit of no great difficulty, the inclination 
of the tree admitting of an easy passage, the adjoining branches 
offering ample support for the hands, and the fall being too 
trifling to be apprehended. When Deerslayer first saw this 
party, it was just unmasking itself, by ascending the part of the 
tree nearest to the earth, or that which was much the most 
difficult to overcome ; and his knowledge of Indian habits told 
him at once that they were all in their war paint, and belonged 
to a hostile tribe. 

“Pull, Hurry,” he cried; “pull for your life, and as you love 
Judith Hotter ! Pull, man, pull ! ” 

This call was made to one that the young man knew had the 
strength of a giant. It was so earnest and solemn, that both 
Hotter and March felt it was not idly given, and they applied 
all their force to the line simultaneously, and at a most critical 
moment. The scow redoubled its motion, and seemed to glide 
from under the tree as if conscious of the danger that was 
impending overhead. Perceiving that they were discovered, the 
Indians uttered the fearful war-whoop, and running forward on 
the tree, leaped desperately towards their fancied prize. There 


THE DEERSLAYER 


71 


were six on the tree, and each made the effort. All but their 
leader fell into the river more or less distant from the ark, as 
they came, sooner or later, to the leaping-place. The chief, who 
had taken the dangerous post in advance, having an earlier 
opportunity than the others, struck the scow just within the 
stern. The fall proving so much greater than he had antici- 
pated, he was slightly stunned, and for a moment he remained 
half bent and unconscious of his situation. At this instant 
Judith rushed from the cabin, her beauty heightened by the 
excitement that produced the bold act, which flushed her cheek 
to crimson, and, throwing all her strength into the effort, she 
pushed the intruder over the edge of the scow, headlong 
into the river. This decided feat was no sooner accomplished 
than the woman resumed her sway ; Judith looked over the 
stern to ascertain what had become of the man, and the 
expression of her eyes softened to concern, next, her cheek crim- 
soned between shame and surprise, at her own temerity, and 
then she laughed in her own merry and sweet manner. All this 
occupied less than a minute, when the arm of Deerslayer was 
thrown around her waist, and she was dragged swiftly within 
the protection of the cabin. This retreat was not effected too 
soon. Scarcely were the two in safety, when the forest was 
filled with yells, and bullets began to patter against the logs. 

The ark being in swift motion all this while, it was beyond 
the danger of pursuit by the time these little events had 
occurred ; and the savages, as soon as the first burst of their 
anger had subsided, ceased firing, with the consciousness that 
they were expending their ammunition in vain. When the 
scow came up over her grapnel. Hunter tripped the latter, in a 
way not to impede the motion ; and being now beyond the influ- 
ence of the current, the vessel continued to drift ahead, until 
fairly in the open lake, though still near enough to the land to 
render exposure to a rifle-bullet dangerous. Hutter and March 
got out two small sweeps, and, covered by the cabin, they soon 


72 


THE DEERSLAYER 


urged the ark far enough from the shore to leave no inducement 
to their enemies to make any further attempt to injure them. 


CHAPTER V 

“ Why, let the stricken deer go weep, 

The hart uugalled play, 

For some must watch, while some must sleep, 

Thus runs the world away.” 

Shakespeare. 

Another consultation took place in the forward part of the 
scow, at which both Judith and Hetty were present. As no 
danger could now approach unseen, immediate uneasiness had 
given place to the concern which attended the conviction that 
enemies were in considerable force on the shores of the lake, and 
tliat they might be sure no practicable means of accomplishing 
their own destruction would be neglected. As a matter of course 
Hutter felt these truths the deepest, his daughters having an 
habitual reliance on his resources, and knowing too little to 
appreciate fully all the risks they ran ; while his male compan- 
ions were at liberty to quit him at any moment they saw fit. 
His first remark showed that he had an eye to the latter cir- 
cumstance, and might have betrayed, to a keen observer, the 
apprehension that was just then uppermost. 

“We’ve a great advantage over the Iroquois, or the enemy, 
whoever they are, in being afloat,” he said. “There’s not 
a canoe on the lake that I don’t know where it ’s hid ; and now 
yours is here. Hurry, there are but three more on the land, and 
they ’re so snug in hollow logs that I don’t believe the Indians 
could And them, let them try ever so long.” 

“ There ’s no telling that — no one can say that,” put in 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


73 


Deerslayer ; “ a hound is not more sartain on the scent than a 
redskin, when he expects to get anything by it. Let this party 
see scalps afore ’em, or plunder, or honor accordin’ to their idees 
of what honor is, and ’t will be a tight log that hides a canoe 
from their eyes.” 

“You’re right, Deerslayer,” cried Harry March; “you’re 
downright Gospel in this matter, and I rej’ice that my bunch 
of bark is safe enough here, within reach of my arm. I calci- 
late they ’ll be at all the rest of the canoes afore to-morrow night, 
if they are in ra’al ’arnest to smoke you out, old Tom, and we 
may as well overhaul our paddles for a pull.” 

Hutter made no immediate reply. He looked about him in 
silence for quite a minute, examining the sky, the lake, and the 
belt of forest which inclosed it, as it might be hermetically, like 
one consulting their signs. Nor did he find any alarming 
symptoms. The boundless woods were sleeping in the deep 
repose of nature, the heavens were placid, but still luminous 
with the light of the retreating sun, while the lake looked more 
lovely and calm than it had before done that day. It was a 
scene altogether soothing, and of a character to lull the passions 
into a species of holy calm. How far this effect was produced, 
however, on the party in the ark, must appear in the progress 
of our narrative. 

“Judith,” called out the father, when he had taken this 
close but short survey of the omens, “night is at hand; find 
our friends food ; a long march gives a sharp appetite.” 

“We’re not starving. Master Hutter,” March observed, “for 
we filled up just as we reached the lake, and for one, I prefar 
the company of Jude even to her supper. This quiet evening 
is very agreeable to sit by her side.” 

“Natur’ is natur’,” objected Hutter, “and must be fed. 
Judith, see to the meal, and take your sister to help you. I ’ve 
a little discourse to hold with you, friends,” he continued, as 
soon as his daughters were out of hearing, “ and wish the girls 


74 


THE DEERSLAYER 


away. You see my situation, and I should like to hear your 
opinions concerning what is best to be done. Three times have 
I been burnt out already, but that was on the shore ; and I Ve 
considered myself as pretty safe ever since I got the castle built, 
and the ark afloat. My other accidents, however, happened in 
peaceable times, being nothing more than such flurries as a man 
must meet with, in the woods ; but this matter looks serious, 
and your ideas would greatly relieve my mind.” 

“ It ’s my notion, old Tom, that you, and your huts, and 
your traps, and your whole possessions, hereaway, are in des- 
perate jippardy,” returned the matter-of-fact Hurry, who saw 
no use in concealment. “ Accordin’ to my idees of valie, they ’re 
altogether not worth half as much to-day as they was yesterday, 
nor would I give more for ’em, taking the pay in skins.” 

“Then I’ve children!” continued the flither, making the 
allusion in a way that it might have puzzled even an indiffer- 
ent observer to say was intended as a bait, or as an exclama- 
tion of paternal concern, “ daughters, as you know. Hurry, and 
good girls too, I may say, though I am their father.” 

“A man may say anything, Master Hutter, particularly 
when pressed by time and circumstances. You ’ve darters, as 
you say, and one of them has n’t her equal on the frontiers for 
good looks, whatever she may have for good behavior. As for 
poor Hetty, she ’s Hetty Hutter, and that ’s as much as one 
can say about the poor thing. Give me Jude, if her conduct 
was only equal to her looks 1 ” 

“I see, Harry March, I can only count on you as a fair- 
weather friend ; and I suppose that your companion will be of 
the same way of thinking,” returned the other, with a slight 
show of pride, that was not altogether without dignity ; “ well, 
I must depend on Providence, which will not turn a deaf ear, 
perhaps, to a father’s prayers.” 

“ If you ’ve understood Hurry, here, to mean that he intends 
to desart you,” said Deerslayer, with an earnest simplicity that 


THE DEERSLAYER 


75 


gave double assurance of its truth, “ I think you do him 
injustice, as I know you do me, in supposing I would follow 
him, was he so ontrue-hearted as to leave a family of his own 
color in such a strait as this. I ’ve come on this-lake. Master 
Hutter, to rende’vous a fr’ind, and I only wish he was here him- 
self, as I make no doubt he will be at sunset to-morrow, when 
you ’d have another rifle to aid you ; an inexper’enced one, 
I ’ll allow, like my own, but one that has proved true so often 
ag’in the game, big and little, that I ’ll answer for its sarvice 
agi’n mortals.” 

“ May I depend on you to stand by me and my daughters, 
then, Deerslayer ? ” demanded the old man, with a father’s 
anxiety in his countenance. 

“ That may you, Floating Tom, if that ’s your name ; and as 
a brother would stand by a sister, a husband his wife, or a suitor 
his sweetheart. In this strait you may count on me, through all 
advarsities ; and I think Hurry does discredit to his natur’ and 
wishes, if you can’t count on him.” 

“Not he,” cried Judith, thrusting her handsome face out of 
the door; “his nature is hurry, as well as his name, and he’ll 
hurry off, as soon as he thinks his fine figure in danger. Neither 
‘old Tom,’ nor his ‘gals,’ will depend much on Master March, 
now they know him, but you they will rely on, Deerslayer ; for 
your honest face and honest heart tell us that what you promise 
you will perform.” 

This was said, as much, perhaps, in affected scorn for Hurry, 
as in sincerity. Still, it was not said without feeling. The fine 
face of Judith sufliciently proved the latter circumstance; and 
if the conscious March fancied that he had never seen in it a 
stronger display of contempt — a feeling in which the beauty 
was apt to indulge — than while she was looking at him, it 
i certainly seldom exhibited more of womanly softness and sensi- 
bility, than wheii her speaking blue eyes were turned on his 
travelling companion. 


76 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Leave us, Judith,” Hutter ordered sternly, before either of 
the young men could reply ; “ leave us ; and do not return until 
you come with the venison and fish. The girl has been spoilt 
by the flattery of the officers, who sometimes find their way up 
here, Master March, and you ’ll not think any harm of her silly 
words.” 

“ You never said truer syllable, old Tom,” retorted Hurry, 
who smarted under Judith’s observations; “the devil-tongued 
youngsters of the garrison have proved her undoing ! I scarce 
know Jude any longer, . and shall soon take to admiring her 
sister, who is getting to be much more to my fancy.” 

“ I ’m glad to hear this, Harry, and look upon it as a sign that 
you ’re coming to your right senses. Hetty would make a much 
safer and more rational companion than Jude, and would be 
much the most likely to listen to your suit, as the officers have, 
I greatly fear, unsettled her sister’s mind.” 

“No man needs a safer wife than Hetty,” said Hurry, laugh- 
ing, “ though I ’ll not answer for her being of the most rational. 
But no matter ; Heerslayer has not misconceived me, when he 
told you I should be found at my post. I ’ll not quit you, Uncle 
Tom, just now, whatever may be my feelin’s and intentions 
respecting your eldest darter.” 

Hurry had a respectable reputation for prowess among his 
associates, and Hutter heard this pledge with a satisfaction that 
was not concealed. Even the great personal strength of such an 
aid became of moment, in moving the ark, as well as in the 
species of hand-to-hand conflicts, that were not unfrequent in 
the woods ; and no commander who was hard pressed could feel 
more joy at hearing of the arrival of reinforcements, than the 
borderer experienced at being told this important auxiliary was 
not about to quit him. A minute before, Hutter would have 
been well content to compromise his danger, by entering into a 
compact to act only on the defensive ; but no sooner did he feel 
some security on this point, than the restlessness of man induced 


THE DEE RSL AYER 77 

him to think of the means of carrying the war into the enemy’s 
country. 

“ High prices are offered for scalps on both sides,” he ob- 
served, with a grim smile, as if he felt the force of the induce- 
ment, at the very time he wished to affect a superiority to 
earning money by means that the ordinary feelings of those 
who aspire to be civilized men repudiated, even while they 
were adopted. “It isn’t right, perhaps, to take gold for 
human blood ; and yet, when mankind is busy in killing one 
another, there can be no great harm in adding a little bit of 
skin to the plunder. What ’s your sentiments. Hurry, touch- 
ing these p’ints ? ” 

“ That you ’ve made a vast mistake, old man, in calling sav- 
age blood human blood, at all. I think no more of a redskin’s 
scalp than I do of a pair of wolf’s ears ; and would just as lief 
finger money for the one as for the other. With white people 
’t is different, for they ’ve a nat’ral avarsion to being scalped ; 
whereas your Indian shaves his head in readiness for the knife, 
and leaves a lock of hair by way of braggadocio, that one can 
lay hold of in the bargain.” 

“That’s manly, however, and I felt from the first that we 
had only to get you on our side, to have your heart and hand,” 
returned Tom, losing all his reserve, as he gained a renewed con- 
fidence in the disposition of his companions. “ Something more 
may turn up from this inroad of the redskins than they bargained 
for. Deerslayer, I conclude you ’re of Hurry’s way of thinking, 
and look upon money ’arned in this way as being as likely to 
pass as money ’arned in trapping or hunting.” 

“ I ’ve no such feelin’, nor any wish to harbor it, not I,” 
returned the other. “ My gifts are not scalpers’ gifts, but such 
as belong to my religion and color. I ’ll stand by you, old man, 
in the ark or in the castle, the canoe or the woods, but I ’ll not 
unhumanize my natur’ by falling into ways that God intended 
for another race. If you and Hurry have got any thoughts that 


78 


THE DEERSLAYER 


lean towards the colony’s gold, go by yourselves in s’arch of it, and 
leave the females to my care. Much as I must differ from you 
both on all gifts that do not properly belong to a white man, we 
shall agree that it is the duty of the strong to take care of the 
weak, especially when the last belong to them that natur’ intended 
man to protect and console by his gentleness and strength.” 

“ Hurry Harry, that is a lesson you might learn and practise 
on to some advantage,” said the sweet but spirited voice of 
Judith, from the cabin; a proof that she had overheard all that 
had hitherto been said. 

“No more of this, Jude,” called out the father angrily. 
“ Move farther off ; we are about to talk of matters unfit for a 
woman to listen to.” 

Hutter did not take any steps, however, to ascertain whether 
he was obeyed or not ; but dropping his voice a little, he pur- 
sued the discourse. 

“The young man is right, Hurry,” he said; “and we can 
leave the children in his care. Now, my idea is just this ; and 
I think you ’ll agree that it is rational and correct. There ’s a 
large party of these savages on shore and, though I did n’t tell 
it before the girls, for they ’re womanish, and apt to be trouble- 
some when anything like real work is to be done, there ’s women 
among ’em. This I know from moccasin prints ; and ’t is likely 
they are hunters, after all, who have been out so long that they 
know nothing of the war, or of the bounties.” 

“In which case, old Tom, why was their first salute an 
attempt to cut our throats 1 ” 

“We don’t know that their design was so bloody. It ’s natu- 
ral and easy for an Indian to fall into ambushes and surprises ; 
and no doubt they wished to get on board the ark first, and to 
make their conditions afterwards. That a disapp’inted savage 
should fire at us, is in rule ; and I think nothing of that. Be- 
sides, how often they burned me out, and robbed my traps — ay, 
and pulled trigger on me, in the most peaceful times ? ” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


79 


“ The blackguards will do such things, I must allow ; and we 
pay ’em off pretty much in their own c’ine. Women would not be 
on the war-path, sartainly ; and, so far, there ’s reason in your 
idee.” 

“ Nor would a hunter be in his war-paint,” returned Deer- 
slayer. “ I saw the Mingos, and know that they are out on the 
trail of mortal men ; and not for beaver or deer.” 

“ There you have it ag’in, old fellow,” said Hurry. “ In the 
way of an eye, now, I ’d as soon trust this young man, as trust the 
oldest settler in the colony ; if he says paint, why paint it was.” 

“ Then a hunting-party and a war-party have met, for women 
must have been with ’em. It ’s only a few days since the run- 
ner went through with the tidings of the troubles; and it may 
be that warriors have come out to call in their women and chil- 
dren, to get an early blow.” 

“ That would stand the courts, and is just the truth,” cried 
Hurry ; “ you ’ve got it now, old Tom, and I should like to hear 
what you mean to make out of it.” 

“ The bounty,” returned the other, looking up at his attentive 
companion, in a cool, sullen manner, in which, however, heart- 
less cupidity and indifference to the means were far more con- 
spicuous than any feelings of animosity or revenge. “ If there ’s 
women, there’s children; and big and little have scalps; the 
; colony pays for all alike.” 

I “ More shame to it, that it should do so,” interrupted Deer- 
slayer ; “ more shame to it, that it don’t understand its gifts, and 
I pay greater attention to the will of God.” 

“ Hearken to reason, lad, and don’t cry out afore you under- 
stand a case,” returned the unmoved Hurry; “the savages scalp 
your fri’nds, the Delawares, or Mohicans, whichever they may 
be, among the rest ; and why shouldn’t we scalp ? I will own, 
it would be ag’in right for you and me, now, to go into the set- 
tlements and bring out scalps, but it ’s a very different matter 
as concerns Indians. A man shouldn’t take scalps, if he isn’t 


80 


THE DEERSLAYER 


ready to be scalped, himself, on fitting occasions. One good 
turn desarves another, all the world over. That ’s reason, and 
I believe it to be good religion.” 

“Ay, Master Hurry,” again interrupted the rich voice of 
Judith, “is it religion to say that one had turn deserves 
another ? ” 

“I’ll never reason ag’in you, Judy, for you beat me with 
beauty, if you can’t with sense. Here’s the Canadas paying 
their Injins for scalps, and why not we pay — ” 

“ Our Indians ! ” exclaimed the girl, laughing with a sort of 
melancholy merriment. “Father, father ! think no more of this, 
and listen to the advice of Deerslayer, who has a conscience ; 
which is more than I can say or think of Harry March.” 

Hotter now rose, and, entering the cabin, he compelled his 
daughters to go into the adjoining room, when he secured both 
the doors, and returned. Then he and Hurry pursued the sub- 
ject ; but, as the purport of all that was material in this dis- 
course will appear in the narrative, it need not be related here 
in detail. The reader, however, can have no difficulty in com- 
prehending the morality that presided over their conference. It 
was, in truth, that which, in some form or other, rules most of 
the acts of men, and in which the controlling principle is that 
one wrong will justify another. Their enemies paid for scalps, 
and this was sufficient to justify the colony for retaliating. It 
is true, the French used the same argument, a circumstance, as 
Hurry took occasion to observe in answer to one of Deerslayer’s 
objections, that proved its truth, as mortal enemies would not 
be likely to have recourse to the same reason unless it were a 
good one. But neither Hutter nor Hurry was a man likely to 
stick at trifles in matters connected with the right of the abo- 
rigines, since it is one of the consequences of aggression that it 
hardens the conscience, as the only means of quieting it. In the 
most peaceable state of the country, a species of warfare was 
carried on between the Indians, especially those of the Canadas, 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


81 


and men of their caste ; and the moment an actual and recog- 
nized warfare existed, it was regarded as the means of lawfully 
revenging a thousand wrongs, real and imaginary. Then, again, 
there was some truth, and a good deal of expediency, in the prin-, 
ciple of retaliation, of which they both availed themselves, in 
particular, to answer the objections of their juster-minded and 
more scrupulous companion. 

“You must fight a man with his own we’pons, Deerslayer,” 
cried Hurry, in his uncouth dialect, and in his dogmatical man- 
ner of disposing of all moral propositions ; “if he ’s f’erce, you 
must be f’ercer ; if he’s stout of heart, you must be stouter. 
This is the way to get the better of Christian or savage : by 
keeping up to this trail, you ’ll get soonest to the ind of your 
journey.” 

“ That ’s not Moravian doctrine, which teaches that all are 
to be judged according to their talents or Faming ; the Injin 
like an Injin ; and the white man like a white man. Some of 
their teachers say, that if you ’re struck on the cheek, it ’s a duty 
; to turn the other side of the face, and take another blow, instead 
I of seeking revenge, whereby I understand — ” 

“ That ’s enough ! ” shouted Hurry ; “ that ’s all I want, to 
prove a man’s doctrine ! How long would it take to kick a 
I man through the colony — in at one ind, and out at the other, 
i on that principle ? ” 

“Don’t mistake me, March,” returned the young hunter, with 
I dignity ; “I don’t understand by this any more than that it ’s 
i best to do this, if possible. Revenge is an In jin gift, and for- 
giveness a white man’s. That ’s all. Overlook all you can is 
j what ’s meant ; and not revenge all you can. As for kicking, 

I Master Hurry,” and Deerslayer’s sunburnt cheek flushed as he 
continued, “ into the colony, or out of the colony, that ’s neither 
here nor there, seeing no one proposes it, and no one would be 
likely to put up with it. What I wish to say is, that a red- 
skin’s scalping don’t justify a pale-face’s scalping.” 


82 


THE DEERiSLAYER 


“ Do as you ’re done by, Deerslayer ; that ’s ever the Christian 
parson’s doctrine.” 

“No, Hurry, I ’ve asked the Moravians consarning that; and 
it ’s altogether different. ‘ Do as you would be done by,’ they 
tell me, is the true saying, while men practise \X\e> false. They 
think all the colonies wrong that offer bounties for scalps, and 
believe no blessing will follow the measures. Above all things, 
they forbid revenge.” 

“ That for your Moravians ! ” cried March, snapping his 
fingers “ tliey ’re the next thing to Quakers ; and if you ’d 
believe all they tell you, not even a ’rat would be skinned, out 
of marcy. Who ever heard of marcy on a muskrat ! ” 

The disdainful manner of Hurry prevented a reply, and he 
and the old man resumed the , discussion of their plans in a 
more quiet and confidential manner. This confidence lasted 
until Judith appeared, bearing the simple but savory supper. 
March observed, with a little surprise, that she placed the 
choicest bits before Deerslayer, and that in the little nameless 
attentions it was in her power to bestow, she quite obviously 
manifested a desire to let it be seen that she deemed him the 
honored guest. Accustomed, however, to the waywardness 
and coquetry of the beauty, this discovery gave him little con- 
cern, and he ate with an appetite that was in no degree dis- 
turbed by any moral causes. The easily-digested food of the ' 
forests offering the fewest possible obstacles to the gratification 
of this great animal indulgence, Deerslayer, notwithstanding 
the hearty meal both had taken in the woods, was in no man- 
ner behind his companion in doing justice to the viands. 

An hour later the scene had greatly changed. The lake 
was still placid and glassy, but the gloom of the hour had suc- 
ceeded to the soft twilight of a summer evening, and all within | 
the dark setting of the woods lay in the quiet repose of night, 
The forests gave up no song, or cry, or even murmur, but ^ 
looked down from the hills on the lovely basin they encircled,. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


83 


in solemn stillness ; and the only sound that was audible was 
the regular dip of the sweeps, at which Hurry and Deerslayer 
lazily pushed, impelling the ark towards the castle. Hutter 
had withdrawn to the stern of the scow, in order to steer, but, 
finding that the young men kept even strokes, and held the 
desired course by their own skill, he permitted the oar to drag 
in the water, took a seat on the end of the vessel, and lighted 
his pipe. He had not been thus placed many minutes, ere 
Hetty came stealthily out of the cabin, or house, as they 
usually termed that part of the ark, and placed herself at his 
feet, on a little bench that she brought with her. As this 
movement was by no means unusual in his feeble-minded child, 
the old man paid no other attention to it than to lay his hand 
kindly on her head, in an affectionate and approving manner ; 
an act of grace that the girl received in meek silence. 

After a pause of several minutes, Hetty began to sing. Her 
voice was low and tremulous, but it was earnest and solemn. 
The words and the tune were of the simplest form, the first 
being a hymn that she had been taught by her mother, and 
the last one of those natural melodies that find favor with all 
classes, in every age, coming from and being addressed to the 
feelings. Hutter never listened to this simple strain without 
finding his heart and manner softened ; facts that his daughter 
well knew, and by which she had often profited, through the 
sort of holy instinct that enlightens the weak of mind, more 
especially in their aims towards good. 

Hetty’s low, sweet tones had not been raised many moments, 
when the dip of the oars ceased, and the holy strain arose singly 
on the breathing silence of the wilderness. As if she gathered 
courage with the theme, her powers appeared to increase as she 
proceeded ; and though nothing vulgar or noisy mingled in her 
melody, its strength and melancholy tenderness grew on the 
ear, until the air was filled with this simple homage of a soul 
that seemed almost spotless. That the men forward were not 


84 


THE DEERSLAYER 


indifferent to this touching interruption, was proved by tlieir 
inaction ; nor did their oars again dip until the last of the 
sweet sounds had actually died among the remarkable shores, 
which, at that witching hour, would waft even the lowest mod- 
ulations of the human voice more than a mile. Hutter was 
much affected; for, rude as he was by early habits, and even 
ruthless as he had got to be by long exposure to the practices of 
the wilderness, his nature was of that fearful mixture of good and 
evil that so generally enters into the moral composition of man, 

“ You are sad to-night, child,” said the father, whose manner 
and language usually assumed some of the gentleness and ele- 
vation of the civilized life he had led in youth, when he thus 
communed with this particular child ; “we have just escaped 
from enemies, and ought rather to rejoice.” 

“You can never do it, father ! ” said Hetty, in a low, remon- 
strating manner, taking his hard, knotty hand into both her 
own; “you have talked long with Harry March ; but neither 
of you have the heart to do it ! ” 

“ This is going beyond your means, foolish child ; you must 1 
have been naughty enough to have listened, or you could know I 
nothing of our talk.” 

“ Why should you and Hurry kill people — especially women ! 
and children ? ” | 

“ Peace, girl, peace ; we are at war, and must do to our ene- 
mies as our enemies would do to us.” 

“ That ’s not it, father ! I heard Deerslayer say how it was. 
You must do to your enemies as you wish your enemies would 
do to you. No man wishes his enemies to kill him.” 

“We kill our enemies in war, girl, lest they should kill us. I 
One side or the other must begin ; and them that begin first, I 
are most apt to get the victory. You know nothing about these I 
tilings, poor Hetty, and had best say nothing.” I 

Judith says it is wrong, father; and Judith has sense, 
though I have none.” 


THE DEERSLA YER 


85 


“Jude understands better than to talk to me of these mat- 
ters ; for she has sense, as you say, and knows I ’ll not bear it. 
Which would you prefer, Hetty ; to have your own scalp taken, 
and sold to the French, or that we should kill our enemies, ami 
keep them from harming us ? ” 

“ That ’s not it, father ! Don’t kill them, nor let them kill 
us. Sell your skins, and get more, if you can ; but don’t sell 
human blood.” 

“ Come, come, child ; let us talk of matters you understand. 
Are you glad to see our old friend, March, back again ? You 
like Hurry, and must know that one day he may be your 
brother — if not something nearer.” 

“ That can’t be, father,” returned the girl, after a considera- 
ble pause; “Hurry has had one father, and one mother; and 
people never have two.” 

“So much for your weak mind, Hetty. When Jude mar- 
ries, her husband’s father will be her father, and her husband’s 
sister her sister. If she should marry Hurry, then he will be 
your brother.” 

“Judith will never have Hurry,” returned the girl mildly, 
but positively ; “Judith don’t like Hurry.” 

“ That ’s more than you can know, Hetty. Harry March is 
the handsomest, and the strongest, and the boldest young man 
that ever visits the lake ; and, as Jude is the greatest beauty, 
I don’t see why they should n’t come together. He has as much 
as promised that he will enter into this job with me, on con- 
dition that I’ll consent.” 

Hetty began to move her body back and forth, and otherwise 
to express mental agitation ; but she made no answer for more 
than a minute. Her father, accustomed to her manner, and 
suspecting no immediate cause of concern, continued to smoke 
with the. apparent phlegm which would seem to belong to that 
particular species of enjoyment. 

“Hurr^ is handsome, father,” said Hetty, with a simple 


86 


THE DEE KSL AYER 


emphasis, that she might have hesitated about using had her 
mind been more alive to the inferences of others. 

“I told you so, child,” muttered old Hutter, without remov- 
ing the pipe from between his teeth ; “ he ’s the likeliest youth 
ill these parts ; and Jude is the likeliest young woman I Ve met 
with since her poor mother was in her best days.” 

“Is it wicked to be ugly, father?” 

“ One might be guilty of worse things — but you ’re by no 
means ugly; though not so comely as Jude.” 

“ Is Judith any happier for being so handsome?” 

“ She may be, child, and she may not be. But talk of other 
matters now, for you hardly understand these, poor Hetty. How 
do you like our new acquaintance, Deerslayer ? ” i 

“ He is n’t handsome, father. Hurry is far handsomer than 
Deerslayer.” 

“ That ’s true ; but they say he is a noted hunter ! His fame 
had reached me before I ever saw him ; and I did hope he would | 
prove to be as stout a warrior as he is dexterous with the deer. 
All men are not alike, howsever, child ; and it takes time, as I 
know by experience, to give a man a true wilderness heart.” 

“Have I got a wilderness heart, father — and Hurry, is his 
heart true wilderness ? ” 

“ You sometimes ask queer questions, Hetty ! Your heart is 
good, child, and fitter for the settlements than for the woods ; 
while your reason is fitter for the woods than for the settlements.” 

“Why has Judith more reason than I, father?” 

“ Heaven help thee, child : this is more than I can answer. 
God gives sense, and appearance, and all these things; and he 
grants them as he seeth fit. Dost thou wish for more sense?” 

“ Not I. The little I have troubles me ; for when I think the 
hardest, then I feel the unhappiest. I don’t believe thinking is 
good for me, though I do wish I was as handsome as Judith ! ” 

“ Why so, poor child ? Thy sister’s beauty may cause her 
trouble, as it caused her mother before her. It’s no advantage, 


THE DEERSLA YER 87 

Hetty, to be so marked for anything as to become an object of 
envy, or to be sought after more than others.” 

“Mother was good, if she was handsome,” returned the girl, 
the tears starting to her eyes, as usually happened when she 
adverted to her deceased parent. 

Old Hutter, if not equally affected, was moody and silent at 
this allusion to his wife. He continued smoking, without appear- 
ing disposed to make any answer, until his simple-minded daugh- 
ter repeated her remark, in a way to show that she felt uneasiness 
lest he might be inclined to deny her assertion. Then he knocked 
the ashes out of his pipe, and laying his hand in a sort of rough 
kindness on the girl’s head, he made a reply. 

“ Thy mother was too good for this world,” he said ; “ thbugh 
others might not think so. Her good looks did not befriend 
her; and you have no occasion to mourn that you are not as 
much like her as your sister. Think less of beauty, child, and 
more of your duty, and you ’ll be as happy on this lake as you 
could be in the king’s palace.” 

“ I know it, father ; but Hurry says beauty is everything in 
a young woman.” 

Hutter made an ejaculation expressive of dissatisfaction, and 
went forward, passing through the house in order to do so. 
Hetty’s simple betrayal of her weakness in behalf of March gave 
him uneasiness on a subject concerning which he had never felt 
before, and he determined to come to an explanation at once 
with his visitor ; for directness of speech and decision in conduct 
were two of the best qualities of this rude being, in whom the 
seeds of a better education seemed to be constantly struggling 
upwards, to be choked by the fruits of a life in which his hard 
struggles for subsistence and security had steeled his feelings 
and indurated his nature. When he reached the forward end 
of the scow, he manifested an intention to relieve Deerslayer 
at the oar, directing the latter to take his own place aft. By 
these changes, the old man and Hurry were again left alone, 


THE DEERSLAYER 


88 

while the young hunter was transferred to the other end of the 
ark. ^ 

Hetty had disappeared when Deerslayer reached his new post, 
and for some little time he directed the course of the slow- 
moving craft by himself. It was not long, however, before 
Judith came out of the cabin, as if disposed to do the honors 
of the place to a stranger engaged in the service of her family. 
The starlight was sufficient to permit objects to be plainly dis- 
tinguished when near at hand, and the bright eyes of the girl 
had an expression of kindness in them, when they met those of 
the youth, that the latter was easily enabled to discover. Her 
vrich hair shaded her spirited and yet soft countenance, even 
at that hour rendering it the more beautiful — as the rose is 
loveliest when reposing amid the shadows and contrasts of its 
native foliage. Little ceremony is used in the intercourse of 
the woods ; and Judith had acquired a readiness of address, by 
the admiration that she so generally excited, which, if it did 
not amount to forwardness, certainly in no degree lent to her 
charms the aid of that retiring modesty on which poets love to 
dwell. 

“ I thought I should have killed myself with laughing, Deer- 
slayer,” the beauty abruptly, but coquettishly commenced, “when 
I saw that Indian dive into the river ! He was a good-looking 
savage, too,” the girl always dwelt on personal beauty as a sort 
of merit, “ and yet one could n’t stop to consider whether his 
paint would stand water ! ” 

“ And I thought they would have killed you with their 
we’pons, Judith,” returned Deerslayer; “it was an awful risk 
for a female to run in the face of a dozen Mingos ! ” 

“ Did that make you come out of the cabin, in spite of their 
rifles, too ? ” asked the girl, with more real interest than she 
would have cared to betray, though with an indifference of man- 
ner that was the result of a good deal of practice united to 
native readiness. 


THE DEERSLA YER 89 

“ Men ar’ n’t apt to see females in danger, and not come to 
their assistance. Even a Mingo knows that.” 

This sentiment was uttered with as much simplicity of man- 
ner as of feeling, and Judith rewarded it with a smile so sweet, 
that even Deerslayer, who had imbibed a prejudice against the 
girl in consequence of Hurry’s suspicions of her levity, felt its 
charm, notwithstanding half its winning influence was lost in 
the feeble light. It at once created a sort of confidence between 
them, and the discourse was continued on the part of the hunter, 
without the lively consciousness of the character of this coquette 
of the wilderness, with which it had certainly commenced. 

“You are a man of deeds, and not of words, I see plainly, 
Deerslayer,” continued the beauty, taking her seat near the spot 
where the other stood, “and I foresee we shall be very good 
friends. Hurry Harry has a tongue, and, giant as he is, he 
talks more than he performs.” 

“March is your fri’nd, Judith; and fri’nds should be tender 
of each other, when apart.” 

“ We all know what Hurry’s friendship comes to ! Let him 
have his own way in everything, and he ’s the best fellow in the 
colony; but ‘head him off,’ as you say of the deer, and he is 
master of everything near him but himself. Hurry is no favorite 
of mine, Deerslayer ; and I dare say, if the truth was known, 
and his conversation about me repeated, it would be found that 
he thinks no better of me than I own I do of him.” 

The latter part of this speech wa^ not uttered without uneasi- 
ness. Had the girl’s companion been more sophisticated, he 
might have observed the averted face, the manner in which the 
pretty little foot was agitated, and other signs that, for some 
unexplained reason, the opinions of March were not quite as 
much a matter of indifference to her as slie thought fit to pre- 
tend. Whether this was no more than the ordinary working 
of female vanity, feeling keenly even when it affected not to feel 
at all, or whether it proceeded from that deeply-seated conscious- 


90 


THE DEERSLAYER 


ness of right and wrong which God himself has implanted in our 
breasts that we may know good from evil, will be made more 
apparent to the reader as we proceed in the tale. ^ Deerslayer 
felt embarrassed. He well remembered the cruel imputations 
left by March’s distrust ; and, while he did not wish to injure 
his associate’s suit by exciting resentment against him, his 
tongue was one that literally knew no guile. To answer with- 
out saying more or less than he wished, was consequently a 
delicate duty. 

“ March has his say of all things in natur’, whether of fri’nd 
or foe,” slowly and cautiously rejoined the hunter. “ He ’s one 
of them that speak as they feel while the tongue ’s a-going, 
and that ’s sometimes different from what they ’d speak if they 
took time to consider. Give me a Delaware, Judith, for one 
that reflects and ruminates on his idees ! Inmity has made 
him thoughtful, and a loose tongue is no ricommend at their 
council fires.” 

“ I dare say March’s tongue goes free enough when it gets 
on the subject of Judith Hutter and her sister,” said the girl, 
rousing herself as if in careless disdain. “Young women’s 
good names are a pleasant matter of discourse with some that 
would n’t dare be so open-mouthed if there was a brother in the 
way. Master March may find it pleasant to traduce us, but 
sooner or later he ’ll repent ! ” 

“Nay, Judith, this is taking the matter up too much in 
’arnest. Hurry has never whispered a syllable ag’in the good 
name of Hetty, to begin with — ” 

“ I see how it is — I see how it is,” impetuously interrupted 
Judith. “ I am the one he sees fit to scorch with his wither- 
ing tongue ! Hetty, indeed ! Poor Hetty ! ” she continued, 
her voice sinking into low, husky tones, that seemed nearly to 
stifle her in the utterance ; “ she is beyond and above his slan- 
derous malice ! Poor Hetty ! If God has created her feeble- 
minded, the weakness lies altogether on the side of errors of 


THE DEERSLA YER 91 

which she seems to know nothing. The earth never held a 
purer being than Hetty Hutter, Deerslayer.” 

“I can believe it — yes, I can believe thafy Judith, and I 
hope ’arnestly that the same can be said of her handsome 
sister.” 

There was a soothing sincerity in the voice of Deerslayer, 
which touched the girl’s feelings ; nor did the allusion to her 
beauty lessen the effect with one who only knew too well the 
power of her personal charips. Nevertheless, the still, small 
voice of conscience was not hushed, and it prompted the answer 
which she made after giving herself time to reflect. 

“ I dare say Hurry had some of his vile hints about the peo- 
ple of the garrisons,” she added. “ He knows they are gentle- 
men, and can never forgive any one for being what he feels he 
can never become himself.” 

“Not in the sense of a king’s officer, Judith, sartainly, for 
March has no turn thataway ; but in the sense of reality, why 
may not a beaver-hunter be as respectable as a governor ? Since 
you speak of it yourself, I ’ll not deny that he did complain of 
one as humble as you being so much in the company of scarlet 
coats and silken sashes. But ’t was jealousy that brought it 
out of him, and I do think he mourned over his own thoughts 
as a mother would have mourned over her child.” 

Perhaps Deerslayer was not aware of the full meaning that 
his earnest language conveyed. It is certain that he did not 
see the color that crimsoned the whole of Judith’s fine face, nor 
detect the uncontrollable distress that immediately after changed 
its hue to deadly paleness. A minute or two elapsed in pro- 
found stillness, the splash of the water seemed to occupy all the 
avenues of sound; and then Judith arose, and grasped the hand 
of the hunter, almost convulsively, with one of her own. 

“Deerslayer,” she said, hurriedly, “I’m glad the ice is broke 
between us. They say that sudden friendships lead to long 
enmities, but I do not believe it will turn out so with us. I 


02 


THE BEERSLAYER 


know not how it is — but you are the first man I ever met, who 
did not seem to wish to flatter — to wish my ruin — to be an 
enemy in disguise — never mind ; say nothing to Hurry, and 
another time well talk together again.” 

As the girl released her grasp, she vanished in the house, 
leaving the astonished young man standing at the steering-oar 
as motionless as one of the pines on the hills. So abstracted, 
indeed, had his thoughts become, that he was hailed by Hutter 
to keep the scow’s head in the right direction, before he remem- 
bered his actual situation. 


CHAPTER VI 

“ So spake the apostate Angel, though in pain, 

Vaunting aloud, but racked with deep despair.” 

Milton. 

Shortly after the disappearance of Judith, a light southerly 
air arose, and Hutter set a large square-sail, that had once been 
the flying top-sail of an Albany sloop, but which, having become 
threadbare in catching the breezes of Tappan,® had been con- 
demned and sold. He had a light, tough spar of tamarack that 
he could raise on occasion, and with a little contrivance, his 
duck was spread to the wind in a sufticiently professional man- 
ner. The effect on the ark was such as to supersede the ne- 
cessity of rowing ; and in about two hours the castle was seen, 
in the darkness, rising out of the water, at the distance of a 
hundred yards. The sail was tlien lowered, and by slow degrees 
the scow drifted up to the building, and was secured. 

No one had visited the house since Hurry and his companion 
left it. The place was found in the quiet of midnight, a sort 
of type of the solitude of a wilderness. As an enemy was known 


THE DEERSLAYER 


93 


to be near, Hotter directed his daughters to abstain from the 
use of lights, luxuries in which they seldom indulged during the 
warm months, lest they might prove beacons to direct their foes 
where they might be found. 

“ In open daylight I should n’t fear a host of savages behind 
these stout logs, and they without any cover to skulk into,” 
added Hotter, when he had explained to his guests the reasons 
why he forbade the use of light ; “ for I ’ve three or four trusty 
weapons always loaded, and Killdeer, in particular, is a piece 
that never misses. But it’s a different thing at night. A 
canoe might get upon us unseen, in the dark ; and tlie savages 
have so many cunning ways of attacking, that I look upon it as 
bad enough to deal with ’em under a bright sun. I built this 
dwelling in order to have ’em at arm’s length in case we should 
ever get to blows again. Some people think it ’s too open and 
exposed, but I ’m for anchoring out here, clear of underbrush 
and thickets, as the surest means of making a safe berth.” 

“ You was once a sailor, they tell me, old Tom 1 ” said Hurry, 
in his abrupt manner, struck by one or two expressions that 
the other had just used, “and some people believe you could 
give us strange accounts of inimies and shipwrecks, if you ’d a 
mind to come out with all you know ? ” 

“ There are people in this world. Hurry,” returned the other, 
evasively, “ who live on other men’s thoughts ; and some such 
often find their way into the woods. What I ’ve been, or what 
I ’ve seen in youth, is of less matter now than what the savages 
are. It ’s of more account to find out what will happen in the 
next twenty-four hours than to talk over what happened twenty- 
four years since.” 

“ That ’s judgment, Deerslayer ; yes, that ’s sound judgment. 
Here ’s Judith and Hetty to take care of, to say nothing of our 
own topknots ; and, for my part, I can sleep as well in the ^ 
dark as I could under a noonday sun. To me it ’s no great mat- 
ter whether there is light or not, to see to shut my eyes by.” 


94 


THE DEE US LA YEN 


As Deerslayer seldom thought it necessary to answer his 
companion’s peculiar vein of humor, and Hutter was evidently 
indisposed to dwell longer on the subject, its discussion ceased 
with this remark. The latter had something more on his mind, 
however, than recollections. His daughters had no sooner left 
them, with an expressed intention of going to bed, than he in- 
vited his two companions to follow him again into the scow. 
Here the old man opened his project, keeping back the portion 
that he had reserved for execution by Hurry and himself. 

“ The great object for people posted like ourselves is to com- 
mand the water,” he commenced. “So long as there is no 
other craft on the lake, a bark canoe is as good as a man-of-war, 
since the castle will not be easily taken by swimming. Now, 
there are but five canoes remaining in these parts, two of which 
are mine, and one is Hurry’s. These three we have wdth us 
here ; one being fastened in the canoe-dock beneath the house, and 
the other two being alongside the scow. The other canoes are 
housed on the shore, in hollow logs, and the savages, who are 
such venomous enemies, will leave no likely place unexamined 
in the morning, if they ’re serious in s’arch of bounties — ” 

“Now, friend Hutter,” interrupted Hurry, “ the Indian don’t 
live that can find a canoe that is suitably wintered. I ’ve done 
something at this business before now, and Deerslayer here 
knows that I am one that can hide a craft in such a way that 
I can’t find it myself.” 

“Very true. Hurry,” put in the person to whom the appeal 
had been made, “ but you overlook the sarcumstance that if 
you could n’t see the trail of the man who did the job, I could. 
I ’m of Master Hutter’s mind, that it ’s far wiser to mistrust a 
savage’s ingenuity, than to build any great expectations on his 
want of eye-sight. If these two canoes can be got oft' to the 
castle, therefore, the sooner it ’s done the better.” 

“Will you be of the party that’s to do it?” demanded 
Hutter, in a way to show that the proposal both surprised and 
pleased him. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


95 


“ Sartain. I ’m ready to enlist in any enterprise that ’s not 
ag’in a white man’s lawful gifts. Natur’ orders us to defend 
our lives, and the lives of others, too, when there ’s occasion 
and opportunity. I ’ll follow you. Floating Tom, into the Mingo 
camp, on such an arr’nd, and will strive to do my duty, should 
we come to blows ; though, never having been tried in battle, I 
don’t like to promise more than I may be able to perform. We 
all know our wishes, but none know their might till put to the 
proof.” 

“ That ’s modest and suitable, lad,” exclaimed Hurry. 
“You ’ve never yet heard the crack of an angry rifle ; and, let 
me tell you, ’t is as different from the persuasion of one of your 
venison speeches, as the laugh of Judith Hutter, in her best 
humor, is from the scolding of a Dutch housekeeper on the 
Mohawk. I don’t expect you’ll prove much of a warrior, 
Deerslayer, though your equal with the bucks and the does don’t 
exist in all these parts. As for the ra’al sarvice, however, 
you ’ll turn out rather rearward, according to my consait.” 

“ We ’ll see. Hurry, we ’ll see,” returned the other, meekly ; 
so far as human eye could discover, not at all disturbed by 
these expressed doubts concerning his conduct on a point on 
which men are sensitive, precisely in the degree that they feel the 
consciousness of demerit ; “ having never been tried, I ’ll wait to 
know, before I form any opinion of myself ; and then there ’ll 
be sartainty, instead of bragging. I ’ve heard of them that 
was valiant afore the fight, who did little in it ; and of them 
that waited to know their own tempers, and found that they 
were n’t as bad as some expected, when put to the proof.” 

“ At any rate, we know you can use a paddle, young man,” 
said Hutter, “and that ’s all we shall ask of you to-night. Let 
us waste no more time, but get into the canoe, and do, in place 
of talking.” 

As Hutter led the way, in the execution of his project, the 
boat was soon ready, with Hurry and Deerslayer at the paddles. 


9G 


THE DEERSLAYER 


Before the old man embarked himself, however, he held a con- 
ference of several minutes with Judith, entering the house for 
that purpose : then, returning, he took his place in the canoe, 
which left the side of the ark at the next instant. 

Had there been a temple reared to God, in that solitary- 
wilderness, its clock would have told the hour of midnight as 
the party set forth on their expedition. The darkness had 
increased, though the night was still clear, and the light of the 
stars sufficed for all the purposes of the adventurers. Hutter 
alone knew the places where the canoes were hid, and he 
directed the course, while his two athletic companions raised 
and dipped their paddles with proper caution, lest the sound 
sliould be carried to the ears of their enemies, across that sheet 
of placid water, in the stillness of deep night. But the bark 
was too light to require any extraordinary efforts, and skill 
supplying the place of strength, in about half-an-hour they 
were approaching the shore, at a point near a league from the 
castle. 

“ Lay on your paddles, men,” said Hutter, in a low voice, 
“and let us look about us for a moment. We must now be 
all eyes and ears, for these vermin have noses like bloodhounds.” 

The shores of the lake were examined closely, in order to 
discover any glimmering of light that might have been left in 
a camp ; and the men strained their eyes, in the obscurity, 
to see if some thread of smoke was not still stealing along the 
mountain-side, as it arose from the dying embers of a fire. 
Nothing unusual could be traced ; and as the position was at 
some distance from the outlet, or the spot where the savages 
had been met, it was thought safe to land. The paddles were 
plied again, and the bows of the canoe ground upon the gravelly 
beach with a gentle motion, and a sound barely audible. Hutter 
and Hurry immediately landed, the former carrying his own and 
his friend’s rifle, leaving Deerslayer in charge of the canoe. The 
hollow log lay a little distance up the side of the mountain, and 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


97 


the old man led the way towards it, using so much caution as to 
stop at every third or fourth step, to listen if any tread betrayed 
the presence of a foe. The same death-like stillness, however, 
reigned on the midnight scene, and the desired place was reached 
without an occurrence to induce alarm. 

“ This is it,” whispered Hutter, laying a foot on the trunk of 
a fallen linden ; “ hand me the paddles first, and draw the boat 
out with care, for the wretches may have left it for a bait, after 
all.” 

“ Keep my rifle handy, butt towards me, old fellow,” answered 
March. If they attack me loaded, I shall want to unload the 
piece at ’em, at least. And feel if the pan is full.” 

“All’s right,” muttered the other; “move slow, when you 
get your load, and let me lead the way.” 

The canoe was drawn out of the log with the utmost care, 
raised by Hurry to his shoulder, and the two began to return 
to the shore, moving but a step at a time, lest they should 
tumble down the steep declivity. The distance was not great, 
but the descent was extremely difficult; and, towards the end 
of their little journey, Deerslayer was obliged to land and meet 
them, in order to aid in lifting the canoe through the bushes. 
With his assistance the task was successfully accomplished, and 
the light craft soon floated by the side of the other canoe. This 
was no sooner done, than all three turned anxiously towards the 
forest and the mountain, expecting an enemy to break out of the 
one, or to come rushing down the other. Still the silence was 
unbroken, and they all embarked with the caution that had been 
used in coming ashore. 

Hutter now steered broad off towards the centre of the lake. 
Having got a sufficient distance from the shore, he cast Ins prize 
loose, knowing that it would drift slowly up the lake before the 
light southerly air, and intending to find it on his return. Thus 
relieved of his tow, the old man held his way down the lake, 
steering towards the very point where Hurry had made his fruit- 


H 


98 


THE DEERSLAYER 


less attempt on the life of the deer. As the distance from this 
point to the outlet was less than a mile, it was like entering an 
enemy’s country ; and redoubled caution became necessary. They 
reached the extremity of the point, however, and landed in safety 
on the little gravelly beach already mentioned. Unlike the last 
place at which they had gone ashore, here was no acclivity to 
ascend, the mountains looming up in the darkness quite a quar- 
ter of a mile farther west, leaving a margin of level ground 
between them and the strand. The point itself, though long, 
and covered with tall trees, was nearly flat, and for some dis- 
tance only a few yards in width. Hutter and Hurry landed as 
before, leaving their companion in charge of the boat. 

In this instance, the dead tree that contained the canoe of 
which tliey had come in quest lay about half-way between the 
extremity of the narrow slip of land and the place where it 
joined the main shore ; and knowing that there was water so 
near him on his left, the old man led the way along the eastern 
side of the belt with some confidence, walking boldly, though 
still with caution. He had landed at the point expressly to get 
a glimpse into the bay, and to make certain that the coast was 
clear ; otherwise he would have come ashore directly abreast of 
the hollow tree. There was no difficulty in finding the latter, 
from which the canoe was drawn as before, and instead of carry- 
ing it down to the place where Deerslayer lay, it was launched at 
the nearest favorable spot. As soon as it was in the water. 
Hurry entered it, and paddled round to the point, whither 
Hutter also proceeded, following the beach. As the three men 
had now in their possession all the boats on the lake, their 
confidence was greatly increased, and there was no longer the 
same feverish desire to quit the shore, or the same necessity for 
extreme caution. Their position on the extremity of the long, 
narrow bit of land added to the feeling of security, as it per- 
mitted an enemy to approach in only one direction, that in their 
front, and under circumstances that would render discovery, with 


THE DEERSLAYER 


99 


their habitual vigilance, almost certain. The three now landed 
together, and stood grouped in consultation on the gravelly point. 

“ We Ve fairly tree’d the scamps,” said Hurry, chuckling at 
their success ; “ if they wish to visit the castle, let ’em wade or 
swim ! Old Tom, that idee of your’n, in burrowing out in the 
lake, was high proof, and carries a fine bead. There be men 
who would think the land safer than the water ; but, after all, 
reason shows it isn’t; the beaver, and rats, and other I’arned 
creator’s taking to the last when hard pressed. I call our 
position now, entrenched, and set the Canadas at defiance.” 

“ Let us paddle along this south shore,” said Hotter, “ and see 
if there ’s no sign of an encampment ; but, first, let me have a 
better look into the bay, for no one has been far enough round 
the inner shore of the point to make sure of that quarter yet.” 

As Hotter ceased speaking, all three moved in the direction 
he had named. Scarce had they fairly opened the bottom of 
the bay, when a general start proved that their eyes had lighted 
on a common object at the same instant. It was no more than 
a dying brand, giving out its flickering and failing light ; but at 
that hour, and in that place, it was at once as conspicuous as 
“ a good deed in a naughty world.” There was not a shadow 
of doubt that this fire had been kindled at an encampment of 
the Indians. The situation, sheltered from observation on all 
sides but one, and even on that except for a very short distance, 
proved that more care had been taken to conceal the spot than 
would be used for ordinary purposes, and Hutter, who knew 
that a spring was near at hand, as well as one of the best 
fishing-stations on the lake, immediately inferred that this 
encampment contained the women and children of the party. 

“That’s not a warrior’s encampment,” he growled to Hurry; 
“and there’s bounty enough sleeping round that fire to make a 
heavy division of head-money. Send the lad to the canoes, for 
there ’ll come no good of him in such an onset, and let us take 
the matter in hand at once, like men.” 


L.ofC. 


100 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ There ’s judgment in your notion, old Tom, and I like it to 
the backbone. Deerslayer, do you get into the canoe, lad, and 
paddle off into the lake with the spare one, and set it adrift, as 
we ilid with the other ; after which you can float along shore, 
as near ‘as you can get to the head of the bay, keeping outside 
the point, howsever, and outside the rushes, too. You can hear 
us when we want you ; and if there ’s any delay, I ’ll call like a 
loon — yes, that ’ll do it — the call of a loon shall be the signal. 
If you hear rifles, and feel like sogering, why, you may close in, 
and see if you can make the same hand with the savages that 
you do with the deer.” 

“ If my wishes could be followed, this matter would not be 
undertaken. Hurry — ” 

“ Quite true — nobody denies it, boy ; but your wishes caifCt 
be followed ; and that inds the matter. So just canoe yourself 
off into the middle of the lake, and by the time you get back 
there ’ll be movements in that camp ! ” 

The young man set about complying with gi’eat reluctance 
and a heavy heart. He knew the prejudices of the frontiermen 
too well, however, to attempt a remonstrance. The latter, in- 
deed, under the circumstances, miglit prove dangerous, as it 
would certainly prove useless. He paddled the canoe, there- 
fore, silently, and with the former caution, to a spot near the 
centre of the placid sheet of water, and set the boat just recov- 
ered adrift, to float towards the castle, before the light southerly 
air. This expedient had been adopted, in both cases, under the 
certainty that the drift could not carry the light barks more 
than a league or two, before the return of light, wdien they 
might easily be overtaken. In order to prevent any wandering- 
savage from using them, by swimming off and getting posses- 
sion, a possible, but scarcely a probable event, all the paddles 
were retained. 

No sooner had he set the recovered canoe adrift, than Deer- 
slayer turned tlie bows of his own towards the point on the 


THE DEERSLAYER 


101 


shore that had been indicated by Hurry. So light was the 
movement of the little craft, and so steady the sweep of its 
master’s arm, that ten minutes had not elapsed ere it was again 
approaching the land, having, in that brief time, passed over 
fully half a mile of distance. As soon as Deerslayer’s eye 
caught a glimpse of the rushes, of which there were many 
growing in the water a hundred feet from the shore, he arrested 
the motion of the canoe, and anchored his boat by holding fast 
to the delicate but tenacious stem of one of the drooping plants. 
Here he remained, awaiting, with an intensity of suspense that 
can be easily imagined, the result of the hazardous enterprise. 

It would be difficult to convey to the minds of those who 
have never witnessed it, the sublimity that characterizes the 
silence of a solitude as deep as that which now reigned over 
the Glimmerglass. In the present instance, this sublimity was 
increased by the gloom of night, which threw its shadowy and 
fantastic forms around the lake, the forest, and the hills. It 
is not easy, indeed, to conceive of any place more favorable to 
heighten these natural impressions, than that Deerslayer now 
occupied. The size of the lake brought all vuthin the reach of 
human senses, while it displayed so much of the imposing scene 
at a single view, giving up, as it might be, at a glance, a suffi- 
ciency to produce the deepest impressions. As has been said, 
this was the first lake Deerslayer had ever seen. Hitherto, his 
experience had been limited to the courses of rivers and smaller 
streams, and never before had he seen so much of that wilder- 
ness, which he so well loved, spread before his gaze. Accus- 
tomed to the forest, however, his mind was capable of portraying 
all its hidden mysteries, as he looked upon its leafy surface. 
This was also the first time he had been on a trail where human 
lives depended on the issue. His ears had often drunk in the 
traditions of frontier warfare, but he had never yet been con- 
fronted with an enemy. 

The reader will readily understand, therefore, how intense 


102 


THE DEERSLAYER 


must have been the expectation of the young man, as he sat in 
his solitary canoe, endeavoring to catch the smallest sound that 
might denote the course of things on shore. His training had 
been perfect, so far as theory could go, and his self-possession, 
notwithstanding the high excitement, that was the fruit of nov- 
elty, would have done credit to a veteran. The visible evi- 
dences of the existence of the camp, or of the tire, could not 
be detected from the spot where the canoe lay, and he was com- 
pelled to depend on the sense of hearing alone. He did not 
feel impatient, for the lessons he had heard taught him the 
virtue of patience, and, most of all, inculcated the necessity of 
wariness in conducting any covert assault on the Indians. Once 
he thought he heard the cracking of a dried twig, but expecta- 
tion was so intense it might mislead him. In this manner min- 
ute after minute passed, until the whole time since he left his 
companions was extended to quite an hour. Deerslayer knew 
not whether to rejoice in or to mourn over this cautious delay, 
for, if it augured security to his associates, it foretold destruction 
to the feeble and innocent. 

It might have, been an hour and a half after his companions 
and he had parted, when Deerslayer was aroused by a sound 
that filled him equally with concern and surprise. The qua- 
vering call of a loon° arose from the opposite side of the lake, 
evidently at no great distance from its outlet. There was no 
mistaking the note of this bird, which is so familiar to all who 
know the sounds of the American lakes. Shrill, tremulous, 
loud, and sufficiently prolonged, it seems the very cry of warn- 
ing. It is often raised, also, at night — an exception to the 
habits of most of the other feathered inmates of the wilderness ; 
a circumstance which had induced Hurry to select it as his own 
signal. There had been sufficient time, certainly, for the two 
adventurers to make their way by land from the point where 
they had been left to that whence the call had come, but it was 
not probable that they would adopt such a course. Had the 


THE DEERSLAYER 


108 


camp been deserted they would have summoned Deerslayer to 
the shore, and, did it prove to be peopled, there could be no 
sufficient motive for circling it, in order to re-embark at so great 
a distance. Should he obey the signal, and be drawn away 
from the landing, the lives of those who depended on him might 
be the forfeit — and, should he neglect the call, on the suppo- 
sition that it had been really made, the consequences might 
be equally disastrous, though from a different cause. In this 
indecision he waited, trusting that the call, whether feigned or 
natural, would be speedily renewed. Nor was he mistaken. A 
very few minutes elapsed before the same shrill warning cry was 
repeated, and from the same part of the lake. This time, being 
on, the alert, his senses were not deceived. Although he had 
often heard admirable imitations of this bird, and was no inejin 
adept himself in raising its notes, he felt satisfied that Hurry, 
to whose efforts in that way he had attended, could never so 
completely and closely follow nature. He determined, there- 
fore, to disregard that cry, and to wait for one less perfect and 
nearer at hand. 

Deerslayer had hardly come to this determination, Avhen the 
profound stillness of night and solitude was broken by a cry so 
startling, as to drive all recollection of the more melancholy call 
of the loon from the listener’s mind. It was a shriek of agony, 
that came either from one of the female sex, or from a boy so 
young as not yet to have attained a manly voice. This appeal 
could not be mistaken. Heartrending terror — if not writhing 
agony — was in the sounds, and the anguish that had awakened 
them was as sudden as it was fearful. The young man released 
his hold of the rush, and dashed his paddle into the water ; to 
do, he knew not what — to steer, he knew not whither. A 
very few moments, however, removed his indecision. The break- 
ing of branches, the cracking of dried sticks, and the fall of feet 
were distinctly audible ; the sounds appearing to approach the 
water, though in a direction that led diagonally towards the 


104 


THE BEERSLAYER 


shore, and a little farther north than the spot that Deerslayer 
had been ordered to keep near. Following this clue, the young 
man urged the canoe ahead, paying but little attention to the 
manner in which he might betray its presence. He had reached 
a part of the shore, where its immediate bank was tolerably 
high and quite steep. Men were evidently threshing through 
the bushes and trees on the summit of this bank, following the 
line of the shore, as if those who fled sought a favorable place 
for descending. Just at this instant five or six rifles flashed, 
and the opposite hills gave back, as usual, the sharp reports in 
prolonged rolling echoes. One or two shrieks, like those which 
escape the bravest when suddenly overcome by unexpected 
anguish and alarm, followed ; and then the threshing among 
the bushes was renewed, in a way to show that man was 
grappling with man. 

“ Slippery devil ! ” shouted Hurry with the fury of disappoint- 
ment — “his skin ’s greased ! I sha’n’t grapple ! — Take that 
for your cunning ! ” • . 

The words were followed by the fall of some heavy object 
among the smaller trees that fringed the bank, appearing to Deer- 
slayer as if his gigantic associate had hurled an enemy from him 
in this unceremonious manner. Again the flight and pursuit 
were renewed, and then the young man saw a human form break 
down the hill, and rush several yards into the water. At this 
critical moment the canoe was just near enough to the spot to 
allow this movement, which was accompanied by no little 
noise, to be seen, and feeling that there he must take in his 
companion, if anywhere, Deerslayer urged the canoe forward to 
the rescue. His paddle had not been raised twice, when tlie 
voice of Hurry was heard filling the air with imprecations, and 
he rolled on the narrow beach, literally loaded down with ene- 
mies. While prostrate, and almost smothered with his foes, 
the athletic frontierman gave his loon-call, in a manner that 
would have excited laughter under circumstances less terrific. 


THE DEE RSL A YE li 


105 


The figure in the water seemed suddenly to repent his own flight, 
and rushed to the shore to aid his companion, but was met and 
immediately overpowered by half a dozen fresh pursuers, who, 
just then, came leaping down the bank, 

“Let up, you painted riptyles — let up ! ” cried Hurry, too 
hard pressed to be particular about the terms he used ; “ is n’t 
it enough that I am withed like a saw-log that ye must choke 
too ! ” , 

This speech satisfied Deerslayer that his friends were prisoners, 
and that to land would be to share their fate. He was already 
M’ithin a hundred feet of the shore, when a few timely strokes 
of the paddle not only arrested his advance, but forced him off 
to six or eight times that distance from his enemies. Luckily 
for him, all of the Indians had dropped their rifles in the pur- 
suit, or this retreat might not have been effected with impunity ; 
though no one had noted the canoe in the first confusion of the 
melee. 

“ Keep off the land, lad,” called out Hutter ; “ the girls depend 
only on you, now ; you will want all your caution to escape 
these savages. Keep off, and God prosper you, as you aid my 
children ! ” 

• There was little sympathy in general between Hutter and the 
young man, but the bodily and mental anguish with which this 
appeal was made served at the moment to conceal from the 
latter the former’s faults. He saw only the father in his suffer- 
ings, and resolved at once to give a pledge of fidelity to its 
interests, and to be faithful to his word. 

“ Put your heart at ease, Master Hutter,” he called out ; 
“ the gals shall be looked to, as well as the castle. The inimy 
has got the shore, ’t is no use to deny, but he has n’t got the 
water. Providence has the charge of all, and no one can say 
what will come of it ; but, if good-will can sarve you and your’n, 
depend on that much. My exper’ence is small, but my will is 
good.” 


106 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


“Ay, ay, Deerslayer,” returned Hurry, in his stentorian 
voice, which was losing some of its heartiness notwithstand- 
ing, — “ Ay, ay, Deerslayer, you mean well enough, but what 
can you do ? You ’re no great matter in the best of times, and 
such a person is not likely to turn out a miracle in the worst. 

If there ’s one savage on this lake shore, there ’s forty, and that ’s 
an army you ar’ n’t the man to overcome. The best way, in 
my judgment, will be to make a straight course to the castle ; 
get the gals into the canoe, with a few eatables ; then strike off 
for the corner of the lake where we came in, and take the best 
trail for the Mohawk. These devils won’t know where to look 
for you for some hours, and if they did, and went off hot in the 
pursuit, they must turn either the foot or the head of the lake 
to get at you. That ’s my judgment in the matter ; and if old 
Tom here wishes to make his last will and testament in a manner 
favorable to his darters, he ’ll say the same.” 

“ ’T will never do, young man,” rejoined Hutter. “ The enemy 
has scouts out at this moment, looking for canoes, and you ’ll be 
seen and taken. Trust to the castle ; and above all things, 
keep clear of the land. Hold out a week, and parties from the 
garrisons will drive the savages off.” 

“’T won’t be four-and-twenty hours, old fellow, afore these' j 
foxes will be rafting off to storm your castle,” interrupted Hurry, 
with more of the heat of (irgument than might be expected from 
a man who was bound and a captive, and about whom nothing 
could be called free but his opinions and his tongue. “ Your 
advice has a stout sound, but it will have a fatal tarmination. 

If you or I was in the house, we might hold out a few days, but 
remember that this lad has never seen an ini my afore to-night, 
and is what you yourself called settlement-conscienced ; though 
for my part, I think the consciences in the settlements pretty 
much the same as they are out here in the woods. These sav- 
ages are making signs, Deerslayer, for me to encourage you to 
come ashore with the canoe ; but that I ’ll never do, as it ’s ag’in 


THE DEERSLAYER 


107 


reason and natur’. As for old Tom and myself, whether they ’ll 
scalp us to-night, keep us for the torture by fire, or carry us to 
Canada, is more than any one knows but the devil that advises 
them how to act. I ’ve such a big and bushy head that it ’s 
quite likely they ’ll indivor to get two scalps off it, for the bounty 
is a tempting thing, or old Tom and I wouldn’t be in this 
scrape. Ay — there they go with their signs ag’in, but if I 
advise you to land may they eat me as well as roast me. No, 
no, Deerslayer — do you keep off where you are, and after day- 
light, on no account come within two hundred yards — ” 

This injunction of Hurry’s was stopped by a hand being rudely 
slapped against his mouth, the certain sign that some one in the 
party sufficiently understood English to have at length detected 
the drift of his discourse. Immediately after, the whole group 
entered the forest, Hutter and Hurry apparently making no 
resistance to the movement. Just as the sounds of the cracking 
bushes were ceasing, however, the voice of the father was again 
heard. 

“As you’re true to my children, God prosper you, young 
man ! ” were the words that reached Deerslayer’s ears ; after 
which he found himself left to follow the dictates of his own 
discretion. 

Several minutes elapsed, in death-like stillness, when the party 
on the shore had disappeared in the woods. Owing to the dis- 
tance — rather more than two hundred yards — and the obscur- 
ity, Deerslayer had been able barely to distinguish the group, 
and to see it retiring ; but even this dim connection with human 
forms gave an animation to the scene that was strongly in con- 
trast to the absolute solitude that remained. Although the 
young man leaned forward to listen, holding his breath and con- 
densing every faculty in the single sense of hearing, not another 
sound reached his ears to denote the vicinity of human beings. 
It seemed as if a silence that had never been broken reigned on 
the spot again ; and, for an instant, even that piercing shriek. 


108 


THE DEERSLAYER 


which had so lately broken the stillness of the forest, or the exo 
crations of March, would have been a relief to the feeling of 
desertion to which it gave rise. 

This paralysis of mind and body, however, could not last long 
in one constituted mentally and physically like Deerslayer. 
Dropping his paddle into the water, he turned the head of the 
canoe, and proceeded slowly, as one walks who thinks intently, 
towards the centre of the lake. When he believed himself to 
have reached a point in a line with that where he had set the 
last canoe adrift, he changed his direction northward, keeping 
the light air as nearly on his back as possible. After paddling 
a quarter of a mile in this direction, a dark object became visi- 
ble on the lake, a little to the right ; and turning on one side for 
the purpose, he had soon secured his lost prize to his own boat. 
Deerslayer now examined the heavens, the course of the air, and 
the position of the two canoes. Finding nothing in either to 
induce a change of plan, he lay down, and prepared to catch a 
few hours’ sleep, that the morrow might find him equal to its 
exigencies. 

Although the hardy and the tired sleep profoundly, even in 
scenes of danger, it was some time before Deerslayer lost his 
recollection. His mind dwelt on what had passed, and his half- 
conscious faculties kept figuring the events of the night, in a sort 
of waking dream. Suddenly he was up and alert, for he fancied 
he heard the preconcerted signal of Hurry summoning him to 
the shore. But all was still as the grave again. The canoes 
were slowly drifting northward, the thoughtful stars were glim- 
mering in their mild glory over his head, and the forest-bound 
sheet of water lay embedded between its mountains, as calm and 
melancholy as if never troubled by the winds, or brightened by 
a noonday snn. Once more the loon raised his tremulous cry, 
near the foot of the lake, and the mystery of the alarm was 
explained. Deerslayer adjusted his hard pillow, stretched his 
form in the bottom of the canoe, and slept. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


109 


CHAPTER VII 

“ Clear, placid Leman ! Thy contrasted lake 
With the wild world I dwelt in, is a thing 
Which warns me, with its stillness, to forsake 
Earth’s troubled waters for a purer spring. 

This quiet sail is as a noiseless wing 
To waft me from distraction ; once I loved 
Torn ocean’s roar, but thy soft murmuring 
Sounds sweet as if a sister’s voice reproved, 

That I with stern delights should e’er have been so moved.” 

Byron. 

Day had fairly dawned before the young man, whom we 
have left in the situation described in the last chapter, again 
opened his eyes. This was no sooner done, than he started up, 
and looked about him with the eagerness of one who suddenly 
felt the importance of accurately ascertaining his precise posi- 
tion. His rest had been deep and undisturbed ; and when he 
awoke, it was with a clearness of intellect and a readiness of 
resources that were very much needed at that particular mo- 
ment. The sun had not risen, it is true, but the vault of 
heaven was rich with the winning softness that “brings and 
shuts the day,” while the whole air was filled with the carols of 
birds, the hymns of the feathered tribe. These sounds first told 
Deerslayer the risks he ran. The air, for wind it could scarce 
be called, was still light, it is true, but it had increased a little 
in the course of the night, and as the canoes were mere feathers 
on the water, they had drifted twice the expected distance; 
and, what was still more dangerous, had approached so near 
the base of the mountain that here rose precipitously from the 
eastern shore, as to render the carols of the birds plainly audi- 
ble. This was not the worst. The third canoe had taken the 
same direction, "and was slowly drifting towards a point where 
it must inevitably touch, unless turned aside by a shift of wind, 
or human hands. In other respects, nothing presented itself to 


110 


THE DEERSLAYER 


attract attention, or to awaken alarm. The castle stood on its 
shoal, nearly abreast of the canoes, for the drift had amounted 
to miles in the course of the night, and the ark lay fastened to 
its piles, as both had been left so many hours before. 

As a matter of course, Deerslayer’s attention was first given 
to the canoe ahead. It was already quite near the point, and 
a very few strokes of the paddle sufficed to tell him that it 
must touch before he could possibly overtake it. Just at this 
moment, too, the wind inopportunely freshened, rendering the 
drift of the light craft much more rapid than certain. Feeling 
the impossibility of preventing a contact with the land, the 
young man wisely determined not to heat himself with unneces- 
sary exertions ; but first looking to the priming of his piece, 
he proceeded slowly and warily towards the point, taking care 
to make a little circuit, that he might be exposed on only one 
side, as he approached. 

The canoe adrift being directed by no such intelligence, pur- 
sued its proper way, and grounded on a small sunken rock, at 
the distance of three or four yards from the shore. Just at 
that moment, Deerslayer had got abreast of the point, and 
turned the bows of his own boat to the land ; first casting loose 
his tow, that his movements might be unencumbered. The canoe 
hung an instant on the rock; then it rose a hair’s-breadth on 
an almost imperceptible swell of the water, swung round, floated 
clear, and reached the strand. All this the young man noted, 
but it neither quickened his pulses, nor hastened his hand. If 
any one had been lying in wait for the arrival of the waif, he 
must be seen, and the utmost caution in approaching the shore 
became indispensable ; if no one was in ambush, hurry was un- 
necessary. The point being nearly diagonally opposite to the 
Indian encampment, he hoped the last, though the former was 
not only possible, but probable ; for the savages were prompt 
in adopting all the expedients of their particular modes of war- 
fare, and quite likely had many scouts searching the shores for 


THE HEERSLAYER 


111 


craft to carry them off to the oastle. As a glance at the lake 
from any height or projection would expose the smallest object 
on its surface, there was little hope that either of the canoes 
would pass unseen ; and Indian sagacity needed no instruction 
to tell which way a boat or a log would drift, when the direc- 
tion of the wind was known. As Deerslayer drew nearer and 
nearer to the land, the stroke of his paddle grew slower, his eye 
became more watchful, and his ears and nostrils almost dilated 
with the effort to detect any lurking danger. ’T was a trying 
moment for a novice, nor was there the encouragement which 
even the timid sometimes feel, when conscious of being observed 
and commended. He was entirely alone, thrown on his own 
resources, and was cheered by no friendly eye, emboldened by 
no encouraging voice. Notwithstanding all these circumstances, 
the most experienced veteran in forest warfare could not have 
behaved better. Equally free from recklessness and hesitation, 
his advance was marked by a sort of philosophical prudence, 
that appeared to render him superior to all motives but those 
which were best calculated to effect his purpose. Such was 
the commencement of a career in forest exploits, that afterwards 
rendered this man, in his way, and under the limits of his hab- 
its and opportunities, as renowned as many a hero whose name 
has adorned the pages of works more celebrated than legends 
simple as ours can ever become. 

When about a hundred yards from the shore, Deerslayer rose 
in the canoe, gave three or four vigorous strokes with the 
paddle, sufficient of themselves to impel the bark to land, and 
then quickly laying aside the instrument of labor, he seized 
that of war. He was in the very act of raising the rifle, when 
a sharp report was followed by the buzz of a bullet that passed 
so near his body as to cause him involuntarily to start. The 
next instant Deerslayer staggered, and fell his whole length in 
the bottom of the canoe. A yell — it came from a single 
voice — followed, and an Indian leaped from the bushes upon 


112 


THE DEERSLAYER 


the open area of the point, bounding towards the canoe. This 
was the moment the young man desired. He rose on the in- 
stant, and levelled his own rifle at his uncovered foe ; but his 
finger hesitated about pulling the trigger on one whom he held 
at such a disadvantage. This little delay, probably, saved the 
life of the Indian, who bounded back ii>to the cover as swiftly 
as he had broken out of it. In the meantime Deerslayer had 
been swiftly approaching the land, and his own canoe reached 
the point just as his enemy disappeared. As its movements 
had not been directed, it touched the shore a few yards from 
the other boat ; and though the rifle of his foe had to be loaded, 
there was not time to secure his prize, and carry it beyond 
danger, before he would be exposed to another shot. Under 
the circumstances, therefore, he did not pause an instant, but 
dashed into the woods and sought a cover. 

On the immediate point there was a small open area, partly 
in native grass, and partly beach, but a dense fringe of bushes 
lined its upper side. This narrow belt of dwarf vegetation passed, 
one issued immediately into the high and gloomy vaults of the 
forest. The land was tolerably level for a few hundred feet, and 
then it rose precipitously in a mountain-side. The trees were 
tall, large, and so free from underbrush, that they resem- 
bled vast columns, irregularly scattered, upholding a dome 
of leaves. Although they stood tolerably close together, for 
their ages and size, the eye could penetrate to considerable dis- 
tances ; and bodies of men, even, might have engaged beneath 
their cover, with concert and intelligence. 

Deerslayer knew that his adversary must be employed in re- 
loading, unless he had fled. The former proved to be the case, 
for the young man had no sooner placed himself behind a tree, 
than he caught a glimpse of the arm of the Indian, his body 
being concealed by an oak, in the very act of forcing the 
leathered bullet home. Nothing would have been easier than 
to spring forward, and decide the affair by a close assault on 


THE DEERSLAYE 


113 

his unprepared foe ; but every feeling of Deerslayer revolted at 
such a step, although his own life had just been attempted 
from a cover. He was yet unpracticed in the ruthless expe- 
dients of savage warfare, of which he knew nothing except by 
tradition and theory, and it struck him as an unfair advantage 
to assail an unarmed foe. His color had heightened, his eye 
frowned, his lips were compressed, and all his energies were 
collected and ready; but, instead of advancing to fire, he 
dropped his rifle to the usual position of a sportsman in readi- 
ness to catch his aim, and muttered to himself, unconscious that 
he was speaking — 

“No, no — that may be redskin warfare, but it’s not a 
Christian’s gifts. Let the miscreant charge, and then we’ll 
take it out like men ; for the canoe he must not, and shall not 
have. No, no ; let him have time to load, and God will take 
care of the right ! ” 

All this time the Indian had been so intent on his own move- 
ments, that he was even ignorant that his enemy was in the 
woods. His only apprehension was, that the canoe would be 
recovered and carried away before he might be in readiness to 
prevent it. He had sought the cover from habit, but was 
within a few feet of the fringe of bushes, and could be at the 
margin of the forest in readiness to fire in a moment. The dis- 
tance between him and his enemy was about fifty yards, and 
the trees were so arranged by nature that the line of sight was 
not interrupted, except by the particular trees behind which 
each party stood. 

His rifle was no sooner loaded, than the savage glanced around 
him, and advanced incautiously as regarded the real, but stealthily 
as respected the fancied position of his enemy, until he was fairly 
exposed. Then Deerslayer stepped from behind his own cover 
and hailed him. 

“ This a way, redskin ; this a way, if you ’re looking for me,” 
he called out. “I’m young in war, but not so young as to 


I 


114 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


staud on an open beach to be shot down like an owl, by day- 
light. It rests on yourself whether it ’s peace or war atween us ; 
for my gifts are white gifts, and I ’m not one of them that thinks 
it valiant to slay human mortals, singly, in the woods.” 

The savage was a good deal startled by this sudden discovery 
of the danger he ran. He had a little* knowledge of English, 
however, and caught the drift of the other’s meaning. He was 
also too well schooled to betray alarm, but, dropping the butt of 
his rifle to the earth, with an air of confidence, he made a gesture 
of lofty courtesy. All this was done with the ease and self- 
possession of one accustomed to consider no man his superior. 

In the midst of this consummate acting, however, the volcano 
that raged within caused his eyes to glare, and his nostrils to ' 
dilate, like those of some wild beast that is suddenly prevented j 
from taking the fatal leap. j 

“Two canoes,” he said, in the deep guttural tones of his race, i 
holding up the number of fingers he mentioned, by way of pre- ) 
venting mistakes ; “ one for you — one for me.” | 

“No, no, Mingo, that will never do. You own neither; and i 
neither shall you have, as long as I can prevent it. I know it ’s L 
war atween your people and mine, but that ’s no reason why i 
human mortals should slay each other, like savage creator’s that 
meet in the woods ; go your way, then, and leave me to go mine. 

The world is large enough for us both ; and when we meet fairly 
in battle, why, the Lord will order the fate of each of us.” 

“ Good ! ” exclaimed the Indian ; “ my brother missionary — 
great talk ; all about Manitou.” ° 

“Not so — not so, warrior. I’m not good enough for the :i 
Moravians, and am too good for most of the other vagabonds 
that preach about in the woods. No, no ; I ’m only a hunter as 
yet, though afore the peace is made, ’t is like enough there ’ll be 
occasion to strike a blow at some of your people. Still, I wish , 
it to be done in fair fight, and not in a quarrel about the ; 
ownership of a miserable canoe.” i 


THE DEERSLAYER 


115 


“Good! My brother very young — but he is very wise. 
Little warrior — great talker. Chief, sometimes, in council.” 

“ I don’t know this, nor do I say it. Injin,” returned Deer- 
slayer, coloring a little at the ill-concealed sarcasm of the other’s 
manner ; “I look forward to a life in the woods, and I only 
hope it may be a peaceable one. All young men must go on 
the war-path when there ’s occasion, but war is n’t needfully 
massacre. I ’ve seen enough of the last, this very night, to 
know that Providence frowns on it ; and I now invite you to 
go your own way, while I go mine ; and hope that we may part 
fri’nds.” 

“ Good ! My brother has two scalp — gray hair under t’other. 
Old wisdom — young tongue.” 

Here the savage advanced with confidence, his hand extended, 
his face smiling, and his whole bearing denoting amity and 
respect. Deerslayer met his offered friendship in a proper 
spirit and they shook hands cordially, each endeavoring to 
assure the other of his sincerity and desire to be at peace. 

“All have his own,” said the Indian; “my canoe, mine; your 
canoe, your’n. Go look ; if your’n, you keep ; if mine, I keep.” 

“That ’s just, redskin ; thought you must be wrong in think- 
ing the canoe your property. Howsever, seein’ is believin’, 
and we ’ll go down to the shore, where you may look with your 
own eyes ; for it ’s likely you ’ll object to trustin’ altogether to 
mine.” 

The Indian uttered his favorite exclamation of “ Good ! ” and 
then they walked side by side towards the shore. There was no 
apparent distrust in the manner of either, the Indian moving in 
advance, as if he wished to show his companion that he did 
not fear turning his back to him. As they reached the open 
ground, the former pointed towards Deerslayer’s boat, and said 
emphatically — 

“No mine — pale-face canoe. This redman’s. No want 
other man’s canoe — want his own.” 


116 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“You ’re wrong, redskin, you ’re altogether wrong. This canoe 
was left in old Hutter’s keeping, and is his’n according to law, 
red or white, till its owner comes to claim it. Here ’s the 
seats and the stitching of the bark to speak for themselves. 

No man ever know’d an Injin to turn off such work.” 

“Good! My brother little old — big wisdom. Injin no 
make him. White man’s work.” 

“I’m glad you think so, for holding out to the contrary 
might have made ill blood atween us, every one having a right 
to take possession of his own. I ’ll just shove the canoe out 
of reach of dispute at once, as the quickest way of settling 
difficulties.” 

AVhile Deerslayer was speaking, he put a foot against the 
end of the light boat, and giving a vigorous shove, he sent it 
out into the lake a hundred feet or more, where, taking the 
true current, it would necessarily float past the point, and be in 
no further danger of coming ashore. The savage started at 
this ready and decided expedient, and his companion saw that 
he cast a hurried and fierce glance at his own canoe, or that 
which contained the paddles. The change of manner, however, 
was but momentary, and then the Iroquois resumed his air of 
friendliness, and a smile of satisfaction. 

“ Good 1 ” he repeated, with stronger emphasis than ever. 

“ Young head, old mind. Know how to settle quarrel. Fare- 
well, brother. He go to house in water — muskrat house — 
Injin go to camp ; tell chiefs no find canoe.” 

Deerslayer was not sorry to hear this proposal, for he felt 
anxious to join the females, and he took the offered hand of the ! 
Indian very willingly. The parting words were friendly, and 
while the redman walked calmly towards the wood, with the 
rifle in the hollow of his arm, without once looking back in i 
uneasiness or distrust, the white man moved towards the remain- 
ing canoe, carrying his piece in the same pacific manner, it is I 
true, but keeping his eye fastened on the movements of the , 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


117 


other. This distrust, however^ seemed to be altogether uncalled 
for, and as if ashamed to have entertained it, the young man 
averted his look, and stepped carelessly up to his boat. Here 
he began to push the canoe from the shore, and to make his 
other preparations for departing. He might have been thus 
employed a minute, when, happening to turn his face towards 
the land, his quick and certain eye told him, at a glance, the 
imminent jeopardy in which his life was placed. The black, 
ferocious eyes of the savage were glancing on him, like those of 
the crouching tiger, through a small opening in the bushes, and 
the muzzle of his rifle seemed already to be opening in a line 
with his own body. 

Then, indeed, the long practice of Deerslayer, as a hunter, 
did him good service. Accustomed to fire with the deer on 
the bound, and often when the precise position of the animal’s 
body had in a manner to be guessed at, he used the same 
expedients here. To cock and poise his rifle were the acts of a 
single moment and a single motion ; then aiming almost without 
sighting, he fired into the bushes where he knew a body ought 
to be, in order to sustain the appalling countenance which alone 
was visible. There was not time to raise the piece any higher, 
or to take a more deliberate aim. So rapid were his move- 
ments, that both parties discharged their pieces at the same 
instant, the concussions mingling in one report. The mountains, 
indeed, gave back but a single echo. Deerslayer dropped his 
piece, and stood with head erect, steady as one of the pines in 
the calm of a June morning, watching the result; while the 
savage gave the yell that has become historical for its appalling 
influence, leaped through the bushes, and came bounding across 
the open ground, flourishing a tomahawk. Still Deerslayer 
moved not, but stood with his unloaded rifle fallen against his 
shoulders, while, with a hunter’s habits, his hands were mechan- 
ically feeling for the powder-horn and charger. When about 
forty feet from his enemy, the savage hurled his keen weapon ; 


f 


118 THE DEE RSL AYER 

but it was with an eye so vacant, and a hand so unsteady and 
feeble, that the young man caught it by the handle as it was 
flying past him. At that instant the Indian staggered and fell 
his whole length on the ground. 

“ I know’d it — I know’d it ! ” exclaimed Deerslayer, who 
was already preparing to force a fresh bullet into his rifle ; “ I 
know’d it must come to this, as soon as I had got the range 
from the creatur’s eyes. A man sights suddenly, and fires 
quick when his own life ’s in danger ; yes, I know’d it would 
come to this. I was about the hundredth part of a second too 
quick for him, or it might have been bad for me ! The riptyle’s 
bullet has just grazed my side — but say what you will for or 
ag’in ’em, a redskin is by no means as sartain with powder and 
ball as a white man. Their gifts don’t seem to lie thataway. 
Even Chingachgook, great as he is in other matters, is n’t 
downright deadly with the rifle.” 

By this time the piece was reloaded, and Deerslayer, after 
tossing the tomahawk into the canoe, advanced to his victim, 
and stood over him, leaning on his rifle, in melancholy attention. 
It was the first instance in which he had seen a man fall in 
battle — it was the first fellow-creature against whom he had 
ever seriously raised his own hand. The sensations were novel ; 
and regret, with the freshness of our better feelings, mingled 
with his triumph. The Indian was not dead, though shot 
directly through the body. He lay on his back motionless, but 
his eyes, now full of consciousness, watched each action of his 
victor — as the fallen bird regards the fowler — jealous of 
every movement. The man probably expected the fatal blow 
which was to precede the loss of his scalp; or perhaps he 
anticipated that this latter act of cruelty would precede his 
death. Deerslayer read his thoughts ; and he found a melan- 
choly satisfaction in relieving the apprehensions of the helpless 
savage. 

“No, no, redskin,” he said ; “you ’ve nothing more to fear 




1 

i 


I 


! 


I 


THE DEERSLAYER 


119 


from me. I am of a Christian stock, and scalping is not of my 
gifts. I ’ll just make sartain of your rifle, and then come back 
and do you what sarvice I can. Though here I can’t stay 
much longer, as the crack of three rifles will be apt to bring 
some of your devils down upon me.” 

The close of this was said in a sort of a soliloquy, as the 
young man went in quest of the fallen rifle. The piece was 
found where its owner had dropped it, and was immediately 
put into the canoe. Laying his own rifle at its side, Deerslayer 
then returned and stood over the Indian. again. 

“All inmity atween you and me ’s at an ind, redskin,” he 
said; “and you may set your heart at rest on the score of the 
scalp, or any further injury. My gifts are white, as I ’ve told 
you ; and I hope my conduct will be white also ! ” 

Could looks have conveyed all they meant, it is probable 
Deerslayer’s innocent vanity on the subject of color would have 
been rebuked a little ; but he comprehended the gratitude that 
was expressed in the eyes of the dying savage, without in the 
least detecting the bitter sarcasm that struggled with the better 
feeling. 

“ Water ! ” ejaculated the thirsty and unfortunate creature ; 
“ give poor Injin water.” 

“ Ay, water you shall have, if you drink the lake dry. I ’ll 
just Carry you down to it, that you may take your fill. This is 
the way, they tell me, with all wounded people — water is their 
greatest comfort and delight.” 

So saying, Deerslayer raised the Indian in his arms, and 
carried him to the lake. Here he first helped him to take an 
attitude in which he could appease his burning thirst; after 
which he seated himself on a stone, and took the head of his 
wounded adversary in his own lap, and endeavored to sooth his 
anguish in the best manner he could. 

“ It would be sinful in me to tell you your time had n’t come, 
warrior,” he commenced, “ and therefore I ’ll not say it. You ’ve 


120 


THE DEERSLAYER 


passed the middle age already, and, considerin’ the sort of lives 
ye lead, your days have been pretty well filled. The principal 
thing now, is to look forward to what comes next. Neither 
redskin nor pale-face, on the whole, calculates much on sleepin’ 
forever ; but both expect to live in another world. Each has 
his gifts, and will be judged by ’em, and I suppose you ’ve 
thought these matters over enough not to stand in need of 
sarmons when the trial comes. You ’ll find your happy hunting- 
grounds, if you’ve been a just Injin; if an onjust, you’ll meet 
your desarts in another way. I ’ve my own idees about these 
things ; but you ’re too old and exper’enced to need any expla- 
nations from one as young as I.” 

“ Good ! ” ejaculated the Indian, whose voice retained its 
depth even as life ebbed away ; “ young head — old wisdom ! ” 

“ It ’s sometimes a consolation, when the ind comes, to know 
that them we ’ve harmed, or tried to harm, forgive us. I sup- 
pose natur’ seeks this relief, by way of getting a pardon on ’arth ; 
as we never can know whetlier he pardons, who is all in all, 
till judgment itself comes. It ’s soothing to know that there is 
any pardon at such times ; and that, I conclude, is the secret. 
Now, as for myself, I overlook altogether your designs ag’in my 
life ; first, because no harm came of ’em ; next, because it ’s 
your gifts, and natur’, and trainin’, and I ought not to have 
trusted you at all ; and, finally and chiefly, because I can* bear 
no ill-will to a dying man, whether heathen or Christian. So 
put your heart at ease, so far as I am consarned ; you know best 
what other matters ought to trouble you, or what ought to give 
you satisfaction in so trying a moment.” 

It is probable that the Indian had some of the fearful 
glimpses of the unknown state of being which God, in mercy, 
seems at times to afford to all the human race ; but they were 
necessarily in conformity with his habits and prejudices. Like 
most of his people, and like too many of our own, he thought 
more of dying in a way to gain applause among those he left 


THE DEEKSLA YER 


121 


than to secure a better state of existence hereafter. While 
Deerslayer was speaking, his mind was a little bewildered, 
though he felt that the intention was good ; and when he had 
done, a regret passed over his spirit that none of his own tribe 
were present to witness his stoicism, under extreme bodily 
suffering, and the firmness with which he met his end. With 
the high innate courtesy that so often distinguishes the Indian 
warrior before he becomes corrupted by too much intercourse 
with the worst class of the white men, he endeavored to express 
his thankfulness for the other’s good intentions, and to let him 
understand that they were appreciated. 

“ Good ! ” he repeated, for this was an English word much 
used by the savages, “ good ! young head ; young heart, too. 
Old heart tough ; no shed tear. Hear Indian when he die, and 
no want to lie — what he call him ? ” 

“ Deerslayer is the name I bear now, though the Delawares 
have said that when I get back from this war-path, I shall have 
a more manly title, provided I can ’am one.” 

“ That good name for boy — poor name for warrior. He get 
better quick. No fear there , — the savage had strength 
sufficient, under the strong excitement he felt, to raise a hand 
and tap the young man on his breast, — “eye sartain — finger 
lightning — aim death — great warrior soon. No Deerslayer 
— Hawkeye — Hawkeye — Hawkeye. Shake hand.” 

Deerslayer ---- or Hawkeye, as the youth was then first 
named, for in after years he bore the appellation throughout all 
that region — Deerslayer took the hand of the savage, whose 
last breath was drawn in that attitude, gazing in admira- 
tion at the countenance of a stranger, who had shown so much 
readiness, skill, and firmness, in a scene that was equally trying 
and novel. When the reader remembers it is the highest grati- 
fication an Indian can receive to see his enemy betray weakness, 
he will be better able to appreciate the conduct which had 
extorted so great a concession at such a moment. 


122 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


“ His spirit has fled ! ” said Deerslayer, in a suppressed, 
melancholy voice. “ Ah ’s me ! Well, to this we must all 
come, sooner or later ; and he is happiest, let his skin be what 
color it may, who is best fitted to meet it. Here lies the body 
of no doubt a brave warrior, and the soul is already flying 
towards its heaven or hell, whether that be a happy hunting- 
ground, a place scant of game, regions of glory, according to the 
Moravian doctrine, or flames of fire ! So it happens, too, as re- 
gards other matters ! Here have old Hutter and Hurry Harry 
got themselves into difficulty, if they have n’t got themselves 
into torment and death, and all for a bounty that luck offers | 
to me in what many would think a lawful and suitable manner. | 
But not a farthing of such money shall cross my hand. White 
I was born, and white will I die ; clinging to color to the last, 
even though the King’s majesty, his governors, and all his coun- 
cils, both at home and in the colonies, forget from what they 
come, and where they hope to go, and all for a little advantage ' 
in warfare. No, no, warrior, hand of mine shall never molest 
your scalp, and so your soul may rest in peace on the p’int of 
making a decent appearance when the body comes to join it, in 
your own land of spirits.” 

Deerslayer arose as soon as he had spoken. Then he placed 
the body of the dead man in a sitting posture, with its back 
against the little rock, taking the necessary care to prevent it 
from hilling or in any way settling into an attitude that might 
be thought unseemly by the sensitive, though wild notions of a 
savage. When this duty was performed, the young man stood 
gazing at the grim countenance of his fallen foe, in a sort of 
melancholy abstraction. As was his practice, however, a habit 
gained by living so much alone in the forest, he then began 
again to give utterance to his thoughts and feelings aloud. 

“I did n’t wish your life, redskin,” he said, “but you left 
me no choice atween killing or being killed. Each party acted 
according to his gifts, I suppose, and blame can light on neither. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


123 


You were treacherous, according to your natur’ in war, and I 
was a little oversiglitful, as I am apt to be in trusting others. 
Well, this is my first battle with a human mortal, though it ’s 
not likely to be the last. I have fou’t most of the creator’s of 
the forest, such as bears, wolves, painters, and catamounts, but 
this is the beginning with the redskins. If I was Injin born, 
now, I might tell of this, or carry in the scalp, and boast of the 
expl’ite afore the whole tribe ; or, if my inimy had only been 
even a bear, ’t would have been nat’ral and proper to let every- 
body know what had happened ; but I don’t well see how I ’m 
to let even Chingachgook into this secret, so long as it can be 
done only by boasting with a white tongue. And why should 
I wish to boast of it, a’ter all ? It ’s slaying a human, although 
he was a savage ; and how do I know that he was a just Injin ; 
and that he has not been taken away suddenly to anything but 
happy hunting-grounds. When it ’s onsartain whether good or 
evil has been done, the wisest way is not to be boastful — still, 
I should like Chingachgook to know that I have n’t discredited 
the Delawares, or my training ! ” 

Part of this was uttered aloud, while part was merely mut- 
tered between the speaker’s teeth ; his more confident opinions 
enjoying the first advantage, while his doubts were expressed in 
the latter mode. Soliloquy and reflection received a startling 
interruption, however, by the sudden appearance of a second 
Indian on the lake shore, a few hundred yards from the point. 
This man, evidently another scout, who had probably been drawn 
to the place by the reports of the rifles, broke out of the forest 
with so little caution that Deerslayer caught a view of his per- 
son before he was himself discovered. When the latter event 
did occur, as was the case a moment later, the savage gave a 
loud yell, which was answered by a dozen voices from different 
parts of the mountain-side. There was no longer any time for 
delay ; in another minute the boat was quitting the shore under 
long and steady sweeps of the paddle. 


124 


THE DEERSLAYER 


As soon as Deerslayer believed himself to be at a safe dis- 
tance, he ceased his efforts, permitting the little bark to drift, 
while he leisurely took a survey of the state of things. The 
canoe first sent adrift was floating before the air, quite a quar- 
ter of a mile above him, and a little nearer to the shore than he 
wished, now that he knew more of the savages were so near at 
hand. The canoe shoved from the point was within a few yards 
of him, he having directed his own course towards it on quitting 
the land. The dead Indian lay in grim quiet where he had left 
him, the warrior who had shown himself from the forest had 
already vanished, and the woods themselves were as silent and 
seemingly deserted as the day they came fresh from the hands 
of their great Creator. This profound stillness, however, lasted 
but a moment. When time had been given to the scouts of the 
enemy to reconnoitre, they burst out' of the thicket upon the 
naked point, filling the air with yells of fury at discovering 
the death of their companion. These cries were immediately 
succeeded by shouts of delight when they reached the body and 
clustered eagerly around it. Deerslayer was a sufficient adept 
in the usages of the natives to understand the reason of the 
change. The yell was the customary lamentation at the loss 
of a warrior, the shout a sign of rejoicing that the conqueror 
had not been able to secure the scalp ; the trophy, without 
which a victory is never considered complete. The distance at 
which the canoes lay probably prevented any attempts to injure 
the conqueror, the American Indian, like the panther of his own 
woods, seldom making any effort against his foe unless tolerably 
certain it is under circumstances that may be expected to prove 
effective. 

As the young man had no longer any motive to remain near 
the point, he prepared to collect his canoes, in order to tow 
them off to the castle. That nearest was soon in tow, when he 
proceeded in quest of the other, which was all this time floating 
up the lake. The eye of Deei-slayer was no sooner fastened on 


THE DEERSLAYER 


125 


this last boat, than it struck him that it was nearer to the 
shore than it would have been had it merely followed the course 
of the gentle current of air. He began to suspect the influence 
of some unseen current in the water, and he quickened his exer- 
tions, in order to regain possession of it before it could drift into 
a dangerous proximity to the woods. On getting nearer, he 
thought that the canoe had a perceptible motion through the 
water and, as it lay broadside to the air, that this motion was 
taking it towards the land. A few vigorous strokes of the pad- 
dle carried him still nearer, when the mystery was explained. 
Something was evidently in motion on the off-side of the canoe, 
or that which was farthest fi’om himself, and closer scrutiny 
showed that it was a naked human arm. An Indian was lying 
in the bottom of the canoe, and was propelling it slowly but cer- 
tainly to the shore, using his hand as a paddle. Deerslayer under- 
stood the whole artifice at a glance. A savage had swum off to 
the boat while he was occupied with his enemy on the point, got 
possession, and was using these means to urge it to the shore. 

Satisfied that the man in the canoe could have no arms, 
Deerslayer did not hesitate to dash close alongside of the retir- 
ing boat, without deeming it necessary to raise his own rifle. 
As soon as the wash of the water, which he made in approach- 
ing, became audible to the prostrate savage, the latter sprang 
to his feet, and uttered an exclamation that proved how com- 
pletely he was taken by surprise. 

“If youVe enj’yed yourself enough in that canoe, redskin,” 
Deerslayer coolly observed, stopping his own career in sufficient 
time to prevent an absolute collision between the two boats, — 
“if you’ve enj’yed yourself enough in that canoe, you’ll do a 
prudent act by taking to the lake ag’in. I’m reasonable in 
these matters, and don’t crave your blood, though there ’s them 
about that would look upon you more as a due-bill for the 
bounty than a human mortal. Take to the lake this minute, 
afore we get to hot words.” 


126 


THE DEERSLAYER 


The savage was one of those who did not understand a word 
of English, and he w^as indebted to the gestures of Deerslayer, 
and to the expression of an eye that did not often deceive, for 
an imperfect comprehension of his meaning. Perhaps, too, the 
sight of the rifle that lay so near the hand of the white man 
quickened his decision. At all events, he crouched like a tiger 
about to take his leap, uttered a yell, and the next instant his 
naked body disappeared in the water. When he rose to take 
breath, it was at the distance of several yards from the canoe, 
and the hasty glance he threw behind him denoted how much 
he feared the arrival of a fatal messenger from the rifle of his 
foe. But the young man made no indication of any hostile 
intention. Deliberately securing the canoe to the others, he 
began to paddle from the shore ; and by the time the Indian 
reached the land, and had shaken himself, like a spaniel, on 
quitting the water, his dreaded enemy was already beyond rifle- 
shot on his way to the castle. As was so much his practice, 
Deerslayer did not fail to soliloquize on what had just occurred, 
while steadily pursuing liis course towards the point of destina- 
tion. 

“ Well, well,” — he commenced, — “ ’t would have been wrong 
to kill a human mortal without an object. Scalps are of no 
account with me, and life is sweet, and ought not to be taken 
marcilessly by them that have white gifts. Tlie savage was a 
Mingo, it ’s true ; and I make no doubt he is, and will be as 
long as he lives, a ra’al riptyle and vagabond ; but that ’s no 
reason I should forget my gifts and color. No, no, — let him 
go ; if ever we meet ag’in, rifle in hand, why then ’t will be 
seen which has the stoutest heart and the quickest eye. Hawk- 
eye ! That ’s not a bad name for a warrior, sounding much 
more manful and valiant than Deerslayer ! ’T would iTt be a 
bad title to begin with, and it has been fairly ’arned. If ’t was 
Chingachgook, now, he might go home and boast of his deeds, 
and the chiefs would name him Hawkeye in a minute ; but it 


THE DEERSLAYER 


127 


don’t become white blood to brag, and ’t is n’t easy to see how 
the matter can be known unless I do. Well, well, — every- 
thing is in the hands of Providence ; this affair as well as 
another ; I ’ll trust to that for getkng my desarts in all 
things.” 

Having thus betrayed what might be termed his weak spot, 
the young man continued to paddle in silence, making his way 
diligently, and as fast as his tows would allow him, towards the 
castle. By this time the sun had not only risen, but it had 
appeared over the eastern mountains, and was shedding a flood 
of glorious light on this as yet unchristened sheet of water. The 
whole scene was radiant with beauty ; and no one unaccustomed 
to the ordinary history of the woods would fancy it had so lately 
witnessed incidents so ruthless and barbarous. As he approached 
the building of old Hutter, Deerslayer thought, or rather felt, 
that its appearance was in singular harmony with all the rest 
of the scene. Although nothing had been consulted but strength 
and security, the rude, massive logs, covered with their rough 
bark, the projecting roof, and the form, would contribute to 
render the building picturesque in almost any situation, while 
its actual position added novelty and piquancy to its other 
points of interest. 

When Deerslayer drew nearer to the castle, however, objects 
of interest presented themselves that at once eclipsed any beau- 
ties that might have distinguished the scenery of the lake, and 
the site of the singular edifice. Judith and Hetty stood on the 
platform before the door. Hurry’s door-yard, awaiting his approach 
with manifest anxiety ; the former, from time to time, taking a 
survey of his person and of the canoes through the old ship’s 
spy glass that has been already mentioned. Never probably 
did this girl seem more brilliantly beautiful than at that 
moment ; the flush of anxiety and alarm increasing her color 
to its richest tints, while the softness of her eyes, a charm 
that even poor Hetty shared with her, was deepened by intense 


128 


TH^ DEERSlAYEtt 


concern. Such, at least, without pausing or pretending to ana- • 
lyze motives, or to draw any other very nice distinction between 
cause and effect, were the opinions of the young man, as his 
canoes reached the side of the ark, where he carefully fastened 
all three before he put his foot on the platform. 


CHAPTER VIII 

‘^His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles ; 

His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate ; 

His tears pure messengers sent from his heart ; 

His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth.” 

Shakespeare. 

Neither of the girls spoke as Deerslayer stood before them 
alone, his countenance betraying all the apprehenston he felt on 
account of two absent members of their party. 

“ Father ! ” Judith at length exclaimed, succeeding in utter- 
ing the word, as it might be by a desperate effort. 

“ He ’s met with misfortune, and there ’s no use in concealing 
it,” answered Deerslayer, in his direct and simple-minded man- 
ner. “ He and Hurry are in Mingo hands, and Heaven only 
knows what ’s to be the tarmination. I Ve got the canoes safe, 
and that ’s a consolation, since the vagabonds will have to swim 
for it, or raft off, to come near this place. At sunset we ’ll be 
reinforced by Chingachgook, if I can manage to get him into a 
canoe ; and then, I think, we two can answer for the ark and 
the castle, till some of the officers in the garrisons hear of this 
war-path, which sooner or later must be the case, when we may 
look for succor from that quarter, if from no other.” 

“The officers!” exclaimed Judith, impatiently, her color 
deepening, and her eye expressing a lively but passing emotion. 
“ Who thinks or speaks of the heartless gallants now 1 We are 


THE DEERSLA YER 129 

sufficient of ourselves to defend the castle. But what of my 
father, and of poor Hurry Harry ? ” 

“ ’T is natural you should feel this consarn for your own 
parent, Judith, and I suppose it ’s equally so that you should feel 
it for Hurry Harry, too.” 

Deerslayer then coi^menced a succinct but clear narrative of 
all that occurred during the night, in no manner concealing 
what had befillen his two companions, or his own opinion of 
what might pi’ove to be the consequences. The girls listened 
with profound attention, but neither betrayed that feminine 
apprehension and concern which would have followed such a 
communication when made to those who were less accustomed 
to tlie hazards and accidents of a frontier life. To the sur- 
prise of Deerslayer, Judith seemed the most distressed, Hetty 
listening eagerly, but appearing to brood over the facts in 
melancholy silence, rather than betraying any outward signs of 
feeling. The former’s agitation the young man did not fail to 
attribute to the interest she felt in Hurry, quite as much as to 
her filial love, while Hetty’s apparent indifference was ascribed 
to that mental darkness which, in a measure, obscured her intel- 
lect, and which possibly prevented her from foreseeing all. the 
consequences. Little was said, however, by either, Judith and 
her sister busying themselves in making the preparations for 
the morning meal, as they who habitually attend to such matters 
toil on mechanically even in the midst of suffering and sorrow. 
The plain but nutritious breakfast was taken by all three in 
sombi-e silence. Tlie girls ate little, but Deerslayer gave proof 
of possessing one material requisite of a good soldier, that of pre- 
serving his appetite in the midst of the most alarming and em- 
barrassing circumstances. The meal was nearly ended before a 
syllable was uttered ; then, however, Judith spoke in the con- 
vulsive and hurried manner in which feeling breaks through 
restraint, after the latter has become more painful than even 
the betrayal of emotion. 


K 


130 


THE DEEUSLAYER 


“ Father would have relished this fish ! ” she exclaimed ; “ he 
says the salmon of the lakes is almost as good as the salmon of 
tlie sea.” 

“ Your father has been acquainted with the sea, they tell me, 
Judith,” returned the young man, who could not forbear throw- 
ing a glance of inquiry at the girl ; for, in common with all who 
knew Hotter, he had some curiosity on the subject of his early 
history. “ Hurry Harry tells me he was once a sailor.” 

Judith first looked perplexed ; then, influenced by feelings that 
were novel to her, in more ways than one, she became suddenly 
communicative, and seemingly much interested in the discourse. 

“If Hurry knows anything of father’s history, I would he 
had told it to me ! ” she cried. “ Sometimes I think, too, he 
was once a sailor, and then again I think he was not. If that 
chest were open, or if it could speak, it might let us into his 
whole history. But its fastenings are too strong to be broken 
like packthread.” 

Deerslayer turned to the chest in question, and for the first 
time examined it closely. Although discolored, and bearing 
proofs of having received much ill-treatment, he saw that it was 
ot materials and workmanship altogether superior to anything of 
the same sort he had ever before beheld. The wood was dark, 
rich, and had once been highly polished, though the treatment 
it had received left little gloss on its surface, and various 
scratches and indentations proved the rough collisions that it 
had encountered with substances still harder than itself. The 
corners were firmly bound with steel, elaborately and -richly 
Avrought, while the locks, of which it had no less than three, 
and the hinges, were of a fashion and workmanship that would 
liave attracted attention even in a warehouse of curious furni- 
ture. This chest was quite large ; and when Deerslayer arose, 
and endeavored to raise an end by its massive handle, he found 
that the weight fully corresponded with the external appear- 
ance. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


131 


“Did you never see that chest opened, Judith?” the young 
man demanded with frontier freedom, for delicacy on such sub- 
jects was little felt among the people on the verge of civilization, 
in that age, even if it be to-day. 

“Never. Father has never opened it in my presence, if he 
ever opens it at all. No one here has ever seen its lid raised, 
unless it be father ; nor do I even know that he has ever 
seen it.” 

“Now, you’re wTong, Judith,” Hetty quietly answered. 
“Father has raised the lid, and Pve seen him do it.” 

A feeling of manliness kept the mouth of Deerslayer shut ; 
for, while he would not have hesitated about going far beyond 
what would be thought^the bounds of propriety in questioning 
the elder sister, he had just scruples about taking what might 
be thought an advantage of the feeble intellect of the younger. 
Judith, being under no such restraint, however, turned quickly 
to the last speaker and continued the discourse. 

“When and where did you ever see that chest opened, 
Hetty ? ” 

“ Here, and again and again. Father often opens it when 
you are away, though he don’t in the least mind my being by, 
and seeing all he does, as well as hearing all he says.” 

“ And what is it that he does, and what does he say ? ” 

“That I cannot tell you^ Judith,” returned the other in a 
low but resolute voice. Father's secrets are not my secrets.” 

“ Secrets ! This is stranger still, Deerslayer, that father 
should tell them to Hetty, and not tell them to me ! ” 

“There’s good reason for that, Judith, though you’re not to 
know it. Father ’s not here to answer for himself, and I ’ll 
say no more about it.” 

Jmlith and Deerslayer looked surprised, and for a minute the 
first seemed pained. But, suddenly recollecting herself, she 
turned away from her sister, as if in pity for her weakness, and 
addressed the young man. 


132 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“You Ve told but half your story,” she said, “ breaking off at 
the place where you went to sleep in the canoe — or rather 
where you rose to listen to the cry of the loon. We heard the 
call of the loons, too, and thought their cries might bring a 
storm, though we -are little used to tempests on this lake at this 
season of the year.” 

“ The winds blow and the tempests howl as God pleases; 
sometimes at one season, and sometimes at another,” answered 
Deerslayer ; “ and the loons speak accordin’ to their natur’. 
Better would it be if men were as honest and frank. After I 
rose to listen to the birds, finding it could not be Hurry’s signal, 
I lay down and slept. When the day dawned I was up and 
stirring, as usual, and then I went in chase of the two canoes, 
lest the Mingos should lay hands on ’em.” 

“You have not told us all, Deerslayer,” said Judith ear- 
nestly. “ We heard rifles under the eastern mountain ; the 
echoes were full and long, and came so soon after the reports, 
that the pieces must have been fired on or quite near to the 
shore. Our ears are used to these signs, and are not to be 
deceived.” 

“They’ve done their duty, gal, this time; yes, they’ve done 
their duty. Rifles have been sighted this morning, ay, and 
triggers pulled too, though not as often as they might have 
been. One warrior has gone to his happy hunting-grounds, 
and that ’s the whole of it. A man of white blood and white 
gifts is not to be expected to boast of his expl’ites, and to flourish 
scalps.” 

Judith listened almost breathlessly; and when Deerslayer, 
in his quiet, modest manner, seemed disposed to quit the sub- 
ject, she rose, and crossing the room, took a seat by his side. 
The manner of the girl had nothing forward about it, though it 
betrayed the quick instinct of a female’s affection, and the 
sympathizing kindness of a woman’s heart. She even took 
the hard hand of the hunter, and pressed it in both her own. 


THE DEERSLA YER 133 

unconsciously to herself, perhaps, while she looked earnestly 
and even reproachfully into his sunburnt face. 

“ You have been fighting the savages, Deerslayer, singly and 
by yourself!” she said. “In your wish to take care of us — 
of Hetty — of me, perhaps, you Ve fought the enemy bravely, 
with no eye to encourage your deeds, or to witness your fall, 
had it pleased Providence to suffer so great a calamity 1 ” 

“I’ve fou’t, Judith; yes, I have fou’t th? inimy, and that, 
too, for the first time in my life. These things must be, and 
they bring with ’em a mixed feelin’ of sorrow and triumph. 
Human natur’ is a fightin’ natur’, I suppose, as all nations kill 
in battle, and we must be true to our rights and gifts. What 
has yet been done is no great matter, but should Chingachgook 
come to the rock this evening, as is agreed atween us, and I 
get him off it onbeknown to the savages, or, if known to them, 
ag’iii their wishes and designs, then may we all look to some- 
thing like warfare, afore the Mingos shall get possession of 
either the castle, or the ark, or yourselves.” 

“Who is this Chingachgook; from what place does he come, 
and ivhy does he come here ? ” 

“ The questions are nat’ral and right, I suppose, though the 
youth has a great name, already, in his own part of the country. 
Chingachgook is a Mohican by blood, consorting with the Dela- 
wares by usage, as is the case with most of his tribe, which 
has long been broken up by the increase of our color. He is 
of the family of the great chiefs ; Uncas, his father, having been 
the considerablest warrior and counsellor of his people. Even 
old Tamenund honors Chingachgook, though he is thought to 
be yet too young to lead in war ; and then the nation is so dis- 
parsed and diminished, that chieftainship among ’em has got to 
be little more than a name. 

“ Well, this war having commenced in ’arnest, the Delaware 
and I rendezvous’d an app’intment, to meet this evening at sun- 
set on the rendezvous-rock at the foot of this very lake, intend- 


134 


THE DEERSLAYER 


\ 

I 


ing to come out on our first hostile expedition ag’in the Mingos. , 
Why we come exactly thisaway is our own secret ; but thought- j 
ful young men on the war-path, as you may suppose, do nothing 
without a calculation and a design.’’ 

“A Delaware can have no unfriendly intentions towards us,” 
said Judith, after a moment’s hesitation, “ and we know you to 
be friendly.” 

“ Treachery is the last crime I hope to be accused of,” returned 
Deerslayer, hurt at the gleam of distrust that had shot through 
Judith’s mind; “and least of all, treachery to my own color.” 

“No one suspects you, Deerslayer,” the girl impetuously f 
cried. “ No — no — your honest countenance would be sufti- I 
cient surety for the truth of a thousand hearts ! If all men | 
had as honest tongues, and no more promised what they did 
not mean to perform, there would be less wrong done in the | 
world, and fine feathers and scarlet cloaks would not be excuses ■ 
for baseness and deception.” j 

The girl spoke with strong, nay, even with convulsed feeling, 
and her fine eyes, usually so soft and alluring, flashed fire as i 
she concluded. Deerslayer could not but observe this extraor- 
dinary emotion ; but with the tact of a courtier, he avoided not | 
only any allusion to the circumstance, but succeeded in conceal- ; 
ing the effect of his discovery on himself. Judith gradually i 
grew calm again, and as she was obviously anxious to appear j 
to advantage in the eyes of the young man, she was soon able j 
to renew the conversation as composedly as if nothing had \ 
occurred to disturb her. 

“ I have no right to look into your secrets, or the secrets of 
your friend, Deerslayer,” she continued, “ and am ready to take 
all you say on trust. If we can really get another male ally to 
join us at this trying moment, it will aid us much ; and I am 
not without hope that when the savages find that we are able I 
to keep the lake, they will offer to give up their prisoners in I 
exchange for skins, or at least for the keg of powder that we ! 
have in the house.” 

i 

I 


THE VEERSLAYER 


135 


The young man had the words “scalps” and “bounty,” on 
his lips, but a reluctance to alarm the feelings of the daughters 
prevented him from making the allusion he had intended to the 
probable fate of their father. Still, so little was he practised 
in the arts of deception, that his expressive countenance was, 
of itself, understood by the quick-witted Judith, whose intelli- 
gence had been sharpened by the risks and habits of her life. 

“I understand what you mean,” she continued, hurriedly, 
“and what you would say, but for the fear of hurting me — us, 
I mean ; for Hetty loves her father quite as well as I do. But 
this is not as we think of Indians. They never scalp an unhurt 
prisoner, but would rather take him away alive, unless, indeed, 
the fierce wish for torturing should get the mastery of them. I 
fear nothing for my father’s scalp, and little for his life. Could 
they steal on us in the night, we should all probably suffer in 
tin's' way; but men taken in open strife are seldom injured; 
not, at least, until the time of torture comes.” 

“That’s tradition, I’ll allow, and it’s accordin’ to practice 
— but, Judith, do you know the arr’nd on w^hich your father 
and Hurry went ag’in the savages ? ” 

“I do; and a cruel errand it was! But what will you 
have? Men will be men, and some even that flaunt in their 
gold and silver, and carry tlie King’s Commission in their 
pockets, are not guiltless of equal cruelty.” Judith’s eye again 
flashed, but by a desperate struggle she resumed her composure. 
“ I get warm when I think of all the wrong that men do,” she 
added, affecting to smile, an effort in which she only succeeded 
indifferently well. “ All this is silly. What is done is done, 
and it cannot be mended by complaints. But the Indians think 
so little of the shedding of blood, and value men so much for 
the boldness of their undertakings, that, did they know the 
business on which their prisoners came, they would be more 
likely to honor than to injure them for it.” 

“ For a time, Judith ; yes, I allow that, for a time. But 


136 


THE ^BEERSLAYER 


when that feelin’ dies away, then will come the love of revenge. 
We must indivor, — Chingachgook and I, — we must indivor 
to see what we can do to get Hurry and your father free ; for 
the Mingos will no doubt hover about this lake some days, in 
order to make the most of their success.” 

“You think this Delaware can be depended on, Deerslayer *? ” 
demanded the girl, thoughtfully. 

“As much as I can myself. You say you do not suspect me, 
Judith?” 

“ Zow/” taking his hand again, and pressing it between her 
own, with a warmth that might have awakened the vanity of 
one less simple-minded and more disposed to dwell on his own 
good qualities, “ I would as soon suspect a brother ! I have 
known you but a day, Deerslayer, but it has awakened the 
confidence of a year. Your name, however, is not unknown to 
me ; for the gallants of the garrisons frequently speak of the 
lessons you have given them in hunting, and all proclaim your 
honesty.” 

“ Do they ever talk of the shooting, gal ? ” inquired the other 
eagerly, after, however, laughing in a silent but heartfelt man- 
ner. “Do they ever talk of the shooting? I want to hear 
nothing about my own, for if that isn’t sartified to by this 
time, in all these parts, there’s little use in being skilful and 
sure; but what do the officers say of their own — yes, what do 
they say of their own? Arms, as they call it, is their trade, 
and yet there ’s some among ’em that know very little how to 
use ’em ! ” 

“ Such I hope will not be the case with your friend Chin- 
gachgook, as you call him — what is the English of his Indian 
name ? ” 

“Big Sarpent — so called for his wisdom and cunning. 
Uncas is his ra’al name — all his family being called Uncas, 
until they get a title that has been ’arned by deeds.” 

“ If he has all this wisdom, we may expect a useful friend in 


THE DEERSLA YER 137 

him, unless his own business in this part of the country should 
prevent him from serving us.” 

“I see no great harm in telling you his arr’nd, a’ter all, 
and, as you may find means to help us, I will let you and 
Hetty into the whole matter, trusting that you’ll keep the 
secret as if it was your own. You must know that Chingach- 
gook is a comely Injin, and is much looked upon and admired 
by the young women of his tribe, both on account of his 
family, and on account of himself. Now, there is a chief that 
has a daughter called “Wah-ta-AVah, which is intarpreted into 
Hist-oh-Hist, in the English tongue, the rarest gal among the 
Delawares, and the one most sought a’ter and craved for a 
wife by all the young warriors of the nation. AVell, Chin- 
gachgook, among others, took a fancy to Wah-ta-Wah, and 
AVah-ta-Wah took a fancy to him.” Here Deerslayer paused 
an instant ; for, as he got thus far in his tale, Hetty Hutter 
arose, approached, and stood attentive at his knee, as a child 
draws near to listen to the legends of its mother. “Yes, he 
fancied her, and she fancied resumed Deerslayer, casting 

a friendly and approving glance at the innocent and interested 
girl; “and when that is the case, and all the elders are agreed, 
it does not often happen that the young couple keep apart. 
Chingachgook could n’t well carry off such a prize without 
making inimies among them that wanted her as much as he 
did himself. A sartain Briarthorn, as we call him in English, 
or Yocommon, as he is tanned in Injin, took it most to heart, 
and we mistrust him of having a hand in all that followed. 
AA^ah-ta-AVah went with her father and mother, two moons 
ago, to fish for salmon on the western streams, where it is 
agreed by all in these parts that fish most abounds, and w^hile 
thus empl’yed the gal vanished. For several w'eeks w^e could 
get no tidings of her ; but here, ten days since, a runner, that 
came through the Delaw'are country, brought us a message, by 
which w^e I’arn that AVah-ta-AVah was stolen from her people, 


138 


THE DEERSLAYER 


— we think, but do not know it, by Briartliorn’s sarcumven- 
tions, — and that she was now with the inimy, who had 
adopted her, and wanted her to marry a young Mingo. The 
message said that the party intended to hunt and forage 
through this region for a month or two, afore it went back 
into the Canadas, and that if we could contrive to get on a 
scent in this quarter, something might turn up that would lead 
to our getting the maiden off.” 

“And how does that concern you, Deerslayer demanded 
Judith, a little anxiously. . 

“ It consarns me, as all things that touches a fri’nd consarns 
a fri’nd. I’m here as Chingachgook’s aid and helper, and if 
we can get the young maiden he likes back ag’in, it will give 
me almost as much pleasure as if I had got back my own 
sweetheart.” 

“And where, then, is your sweetheart, Deerslayer?” 

“She’s in the forest, Judith — hanging from the boughs of 
the trees, in a soft rain — in the dew on the open grass — the 
clouds that float about in the blue heavens — the birds that 
sing in the woods — the sweet springs where I slake my thirst 

— and in all the other glorious gifts that come from God’s 
Providence ! ” 

“You mean that, as yet, you’ve never loved one of my sex, 
but love best your haunts, and your own manner of life.” 

“That’s it — that’s just it. I am white — have a white 
heart and can’t, in reason, love a red-skinned maiden, who must 
have a redskin heart and feelin’s. No, no, I ’m sound enough 
in them partic’lars, and hope to remain so, at least till this war 
is over. I find my time too much taken up with Chingach- 
gook’s affair, to wish to have one of my own on my hands 
afore that is settled.” 

“ The girl that finally wins you, Deerslayer, will at least win 
an honest heart, — one without treachery or guile ; and that 
will be a victory that most of her sex ought to envy.” 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


139 


As Judith uttered this, her beautiful face had a resentful 
frown on it ; while a bitter smile lingered around a mouth that 
no derangement of the muscles could render anything but hand- 
some. Her companion observed the change, and though little 
skilled in the workings of the female heart, he liad sufficient 
native delicacy to understand that it might be well to drop the 
subject. 

As the hour when Chingachgook was expected still remained 
distant, Deerslayer had time enough to examine into the state 
of the defences, and to make such additional arrangements as 
were in his power, and the exigency of the moment seemed to 
require. The experience and foresight of Hutter had left little 
to be done in these particulars ; still, several precautions sug- 
gested themselves to the young man, who may be said to have 
studied the art of frontier warfare, through the traditions and 
legends of the people among whom he had so long lived. The 
distance between the castle and the nearest point on tlie shore, 
prevented any apprehension on the subject of rifle-bullets thrown 
from the land. The house was within musket-shot in one sense, 
it was true, but aim was entirely out of the question, and even 
Judith professed a perfect disregard of any danger from that 
source. So long, then, as the party remained in possession of 
the fortress, they were safe, unless their assailants could find 
the means to come off and carry it by fire or storm, or by some 
of the devices of Indian cunning and Indian treachery. Against 
the first source of danger Hutter had made ample provision, and 
the building itself, the bark roof excepted, was not very com- 
bustible. The floor was scuttled in several places, and buckets 
provided with ropes were in daily use, in readiness for any such 
emergency. One of the girls could easily extinguish any fire 
that might be lighted, provided it had not time to make much 
headway. Judith, who appeared to understand all her fatlier’s 
schemes of defence, and who had the spirit to take no unimpor- 
tant share in the execution of them, explained all these details 


140 


THE DEERSLAYER 


to the young man, who was thus saved much time and labor in 
making his investigations. 

Little was to be apprehended during the day. In possession 
of the canoes and of the ark, no other vessel was to be found 
on the lake. Nevertheless, Deerslayer well knew that a raft 
was soon made, and, as dead trees were to be found in abun- 
dance near the water, did the savages seriously contemplate the 
risks of an assault, it would not be a very difficult matter to 
find the necessary means. The celebrated American axe, a tool 
that is quite unrivalled in its way, was then not very extensively 
known, and the savages were far from expert in the use of its 
hatchet-like substitute; still, they had sufficient practice in j 
crossing streams by this mode to render it certain they would ' 
construct a raft, should they deem it expedient to expose them- . 
selves to the risks of an assault. The death of their warrior ! 
might prove a sufficient incentive, or it might act as a caution ; J 
but Deerslayer tliought it more than possible that the succeed- 
ing night would bring matters to a crisis, and in this precise 
way. This impression caused him to wish ardently for the ( 
jwesence and succor of his Mohican friend, and to look forward 
to the approach of sunset with an increasing anxiety. ' 

As the day advanced, the party in the castle matured their 
plans, and made their preparations. Judith was active, and ; 
seemed to find a pleasure in consulting and advising with her j 
new acquaintance, whose indifference to danger, manly devotion I 
to herself and sister, guilelessness of manner, and truth of feel- i 
ing, had won rapidly on both her imagination and her affections, j 
Although the hours appeared long in some respects to Deer- | 
slayer, Judith did not find them so, and when the sun began to 1 
descend towards the pine-clad summits of the western hills, she i 
felt and expressed her surprise that the day should so soon be : 
drawing to a close. On the other hand, Hetty was moody and ; 
silent. She was never loquacious, or if she occasionally became 
communicative, it was under the influence of some temporary f 


THE DEERSLAYER 


141 


excitement that served to arouse her unsophisticated mind ; but, 
for hours at a time, in the course of this all-important day, she 
seemed to have absolutely lost the use of her tongue. Nor did 
appreliension on account of her father materially affect the man- 
ner of either sister. Neither appeared seriously to dread any 
evil greater than captivity, and once or twice, when Hetty did 
speak, she intimated the expectation that Hutter would find the 
means to liberate himself. Although Judith was less sanguine 
on this head, she too betrayed the hope that propositions for a 
ransom would come, when the Indians discovered that the castle 
set their expedients and artifices at defiance. Deerslayer, how- 
ever, treated these passing suggestions as the ill-digested fancies 
of girls, making his own arrangements as steadily, and brooding 
over the future as seriously, as if they had never fallen from 
their lips. 

At length the hour arrived when it became necessary to pro- 
ceed to the place of rendezvous appointed with the Mohican, or 
Delaware, as Chingachgook was more commonly called. As the 
plan had been matured by Deerslayer, and fully communicated 
to his companions, all three set about its execution, in concert, 
and intelligently. Hetty passed into the ark, and fastening 
two of the canoes together, she entered one, and paddled up 
to a sort of gateway in the palisadoes that surrounded the build- 
ing, through which she carried both ; securing them beneath 
the house by chains that were fastened within the building. 
These palisadoes were trunks of trees driven firmly into the 
mud, and served the double purpose of a small inclosure that 
was intended to be used in this very manner, and to keep any 
enemy that might approach in boats at arm’s-length. Canoes 
thus docked were, in a measure, hid from sight, and as the gate 
was properly barred and fastened, it would not be an easy task 
to remove them, even in the event of their being seen. Pre- 
viously, however, to closing the gate, Judith also entered within 
the inclosure with the third canoe, leaving Deerslayer busy in 


142 


THE DEERSLAYER 


securing the door and windows inside the building, over her 
head. As everything was massive and strong, and small sap- 
lings were used as bars, it would have been the work of an 
hour or two to break into the building, when Deerslayer had 
ended his task, even allowing the assailants the use of any tools 
but the axe, and to be unresisted. This attention to security 
arose from Hutter’s having been robbed once or twice by the 
lawless whites of the frontiers, during some of his many absences 
from home. 

As soon as all was fast in the inside of the dwelling, Deer- 
slayer appeared at a trap, from which he descended into the 
canoe of Judith. When this was done, he fastened the door 
with a massive staple and stout padlock, Hetty was then 
received in the canoe, which was shoved outside of the palisa- 
does. The next precaution was to fasten the gate, and the 
keys were carried into the ark. The three were now fastened 
out of the dwelling, which could only be entered by violence, or 
by following the course taken by the young man in quitting it. 

The glass had been brought outside as a preliminary step, and 
Deerslayer next took a careful survey of the entire shore of the 
lake, as far as his own position would allow. Not a living thing 
was visible, a few birds excepted, and even the last fluttered 
about in the shades of the trees, as if unwilling to encounter 
the heat of a sultry afternoon. All the nearest points, in par- 
ticular, were subjected to severe scrutiny, in order to make 
certain that no raft was in preparation ; the result everywhere 
giving the same picture of calm solitude. A few words will 
explain the greatest embarrassment belonging to the situation 
of our party. Exposed themselves to the observation of any 
watchful eyes, the movements of their enemies were concealed 
by the drapery of a dense forest. While the imagination would 
be very apt to people the latter with more wariiors than it really 
contained, their own weakness must be too apparent to all who 
might chance to cast a glance in their direction. 


THE HEERSLAYER 


143 


“Nothing is stirring, howsever,” exclaimed Deerslayer, as he 
finally lowered the glass, and prepared to enter the ark. “ If 
the vagabonds do harbor mischief in their minds, they are too 
cunning to let it be seen; it’s true, a raft may be in prepara- 
tion in the woods, but it has not yet been brought down to the 
lake. They can’t guess that we are about to quit the castle, 
and, if they did, they ’ve no means of knowing where we intend 
to go.” 

“This is so true, Deerslayer,” returned Judith, “that now 
all is ready, we may proceed at once, boldly, and without the 
fear of being followed ; else we shall be behind our time.” 

“ No, no ; the matter needs management ; for, though the 
savages are in the dark as to Chingachgook and the rock, 
they ’ve eyes and legs, and will see in what direction we steer, 
and will be sartain to follow us, I shall strive to baffle ’em, 
howsever, by heading the scow in all manner of ways, first in 
one quarter and then in another, until they get to be a-leg- 
weary, and tired of tramping a’ter us.” 

So far as it was in his power, Deerslayer was as good as his 
word. In less than five minutes after this speech was made, 
the whole party was in the ark, and in motion. There was a 
gentle breeze from the north, and boldly hoisting the sail, the 
young man laid the head of the unwieldy craft in such a direc- 
tion, as, after making a liberal but necessary allowance for 
leeway, would have brought it ashore a couple of miles down 
the lake, and on its eastern side. The sailing of the ark was 
never very swift, though, floating as it did on the surface, it 
was not difficult to get it in motion, or to urge it along over 
the water at the rate of some three or four miles in the hour. 
The distance between the castle and the rock was a little more 
than two leagues. Knowing the punctuality of an Indian, 
Deerslayer had made his calculations closely, and had given 
himself a little more time than was necessary to reach tlie 
place of rendezvous, with a view to delay or to press his arrival 


144 


THE DEERSLAYER 


as might prove most expedient. When he hoisted the sail, 
the sun lay above the western hills, at an elevation that prom- 
ised rather more than two hours of day ; and a few minutes 
satisfied him that the progress of the scow was such as to 
equal his expectations. 

It was a glorious June afternoon, and never did that soli- 
tary sheet of water seem less like an arena of strife and blood- 
shed. The light air scarce descended as low as the bed of the 
lake, hovering over it, as if unwilling to disturb its deep tran- 
quillity, or to ruffle its mirror-like surface. Even the forests 
appeared to be slumbering in the sun, and a few piles of fleecy 
clouds had lain for hours along the northern horizon like fix- 
tures in the atmosphere, placed there purely to embellish the 
scene. A few aquatic fowls occasionally skimmed along the 
water, and a single raven was visible, sailing high above 
the trees, and keeping a watchful eye on the forest beneath 
him, in order to detect anything having life that the mysterious 
woods might offer as prey. 

The reader will probably have observed, that, amidst the 
frankness and abruptness of manner which marked the frontier 
habits of Judith, her language was superior to that used by 
her male companions, her own father included. This difference 
extended as well to pronunciation as to the choice of words and 
phrases. Perhaps nothing so soon betrays the education and 
association as the modes of speech ; and few accomplishments 
so much aid the charm of female beauty as a graceful and even 
utterance, while nothing so soon produces the disenchantment 
that necessarily follows a discrepancy between appearance and 
manner, as a mean intonation of voice, or a vulgar use of words. 
Judith and her sister were marked exceptions to all the girls of 
their class, along that whole frontier ; the officers of the nearest 
garrison having often flattered the former with the belief that 
few ladies of the towns acquitted themselves better than her- 
self, in this important particular. ‘ This was far from being 


THE DEERSLAYER 


145 


literally true, but it was sufficiently near the fact to give birth 
to the compliment. The girls were indebted to their mother 
for this proficiency, having acquired from her, in childhood, an 
advantage that no subsequent study or labor can give without 
a drawback, if neglected beyond the earlier periods of life. Who 
that mother was, or rather had been, no one but Hutter knew. 
She had now been dead two summers, and, as was stated by 
Hurry, she had been buried in the lake ; whether in indulgence 
of a prejudice, or from a reluctance to take the trouble to dig 
her grave, had frequently been a matter of discussion between 
the rude beings of that region. Judith had never visited the 
spot, but Hetty was present at the interment, and she often 
paddled a canoe, about sunset, or by the light of the moon, to 
the place, and gazed down into the limpid water, in the hope 
of being able to catch a glimpse of the form that she had so 
tenderly loved from infancy to the sad hour of their parting. 

“ Must we reach the rock exactly at the moment the sun 
sets ? ” Judith demanded of the young man, as they stood near 
each other, Deerslayer holding the steering-oar, and she working 
with a needle at some ornament of dress that much exceeded 
her station in life, and was altogether a novelty in the woods. 
“ Will a few minutes, sooner or later, alter the matter ? it will be 
veiy hazardous to remain long as near the shore as that rock ! ” 

“ That ’s it, Judith ; that ’s the very difficulty ! The rock ’s 
within p’int blank for a shot-gun, and ’t will never do to hover 
about it too close and too long. When you have to deal with 
an Injin, you must calculate and manage, for a red natur’ dearly 
likes sarcumvention. Now you see, Judith, that I do not steer 
towards the rock at all, but here to the eastward of it, whereby 
the savages will be tramping off in that direction, and get their 
legs a-wearied, and all for no advantage.” 

^ “You think, then, they see us, and watch our movements, 
Deerslayer 1 I was in hopes they might have fallen back into 
the woods, and left us to ourselves fora few hours.” 

, L 


14G 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“That ’s altogether a woman’s coiisait. There’s no let-up in 
an Inj ill’s watchfulness wlien he’s on a war-path, and eyes are 
on us at this minute, ’though the lake presarves us. We must 
draw near the rock on a calculation, and indivor to get the mis 
creants on a false scent. The Mingos have good noses, they tell 
me ; but a white man’s reason ought always to equalize their 
instinct.” 

Judith now entered into a desultory discourse with Deerslayer, 
in which the girl betrayed her growing interest in the young 
man ; an interest that his simplicity of mind and her decision 
of character, sustained as it was by the consciousness awakened 
by the consideration her personal charms so universally produced, 
rendered her less anxious to conceal than might otherwise have 
been the case. She was scarcely forward in her manner, though 
there was sometimes a freedom in her glances that it required 
all the aid of her exceeding beauty to prevent from awakening 
suspicions unfavorable to her discretion, if not to her morals. 
With Deerslayer, however, these glances were rendered less 
obnoxious to so unpleasant a construction ; for she seldom looked 
at him without discovering much of the sincerity and nature 
that accompany the purest emotions of woman. It was a lit- 
tle remarkable that, as his captivity lengthened, neither of the 
girls manifested any great concern for her father; but, as has 
been said already, their habits gave them confidence, and they 
looked forward to his liberation, by means of a ransom, with a 
confidence that might, in a great degree, account for their appar- 
ent indifference. Once before, Hutter had been in the hands of 
tlie Iroquois, and a few skins had readily eftected his release. 
This event, however, unknown to the sisters, had occurred in a 
time of peace between England and France, and when the sav- 
ages were restrained, instead of being encouraged to commit their 
excesses, by the policy of the different colonial governments. 

While Judith was loquacious and caressing in her manner, 
Hetty remained thoughtful and silent. Once, indeed, she drew 


THE DEERSLAYER 


147 


near to Deerslayer, and questioned him a little closely as to his 
intentions, as well as concerning the mode of effecting his pur- 
pose ; but her wish to converse went no further. As soon as 
her simple queries were answered — and answered they all were, 
in the fullest and kindest manner — she withdrew to her seat, 
and continued to work on a coarse garment that she was making 
for her father, sometimes humming a low melancholy aii-, and 
frequently sighing. 

In this manner the time passed away ; and when the sun was 
beginning to glow behind the fringe of the pines that bounded the 
western hill, or about twenty minutes before it actually set, the 
ark was nearly as low as the point where Hotter and Hurry had 
been made prisoners. By sheering first to one side of the lake, 
and then to the other, Deerslayer managed to create an uncer- 
tainty as to his object ; and, doubtless, the savages, who were 
unquestionably watching his movements, were led to believe that 
his aim was to communicate with them, at or near this spot, and 
would hasten in that direction, in order to be in readiness to profit 
j by circumstances. This artifice was well mairaged; since the 
sweep of the bay, the curvature of the lake, and the low marshy 
land that intervened, would probably allow the ark to reach the 
rock before its pursuers, if really collected near this point, could 
have time to make the circuit that would be required to get 
there by land. With a view to aid this deception, Deerslayer 
stood as near the western shore as was at all prudent ; and then 
causing Judith and Hetty to enter the house, or cabin, and 
I crouching himself so as to conceal his person by the frame of 
^ the scow, he suddenly threw the head of the latter round, and 
H began to make the best of his way towards the outlet. Favored 
I by an increase in the wind, the progress of the ark was such as to 
promise the complete success of this plan, though the crab-like 
movement of the craft compelled the helmsman to keep its head 
looking in a direction very different from that in which it was 
actually moving. 


148 


THE DEERSLA YER 


CHAPTER 'IX 


“ Yet art thou prodigal of smiles — 

Smiles sweeter than thy frowns are stern ; 

Earth sends from all her thousand isles 
A shout at thy return. 

The glory that comes down from thee 
Bathes, in deep joy, the land and sea.” 

The Skies. ' 

It may assist the reader in understanding the events we are 
about to record, if he has a rapidly sketched picture of the scene 
placed before his eyes at a single view. It will be remembered 
that the lake was an irregularly shaped basin, of an outline that, 
in the main, was oval, but with bays and points to relieve its 
formality and ornament its shores. The surface of this beauti- 
ful sheet of water was now glittering like a gem, in the last rays 
of the evening sun, and the setting of the whole — hills clothed 
in the richest forest verdure — was lighted up with a sort of 
radiant smile, that is best described in the beautiful lines we 
have placed at the head of this chapter. As the banks, with 
few exceptions, rose abruptly from the water, even where the 
mountain did not immediately bound the view, there was a 
nearly unbroken fringe of leaves overhanging the placid lake — 
the trees starting out of the acclivities, inclining to the light, 
until in many instances they extended their long limbs and 
straight trunks some forty or fifty feet beyond the line of the 
perpendicular. In these cases we allude only to the giants of 
the forest — - pines of a hundred or a hundred and fifty feet in 
height — for, of the smaller growth, very many inclined so far 
as to steep their lower branches in the water. 

In the position in which the ark had now got, the castle was 
concealed from view by the projection of a point, as indeed was 
the northern extremity of the lake itself. A respectable moun- 
tain, forest-clad, and rounded like all the rest, limited the view in 


THE DEEUSLAtEn 


149 


that direction, stretching immediately across the whole of the fair 
scene, with the exception of a deep bay that passed its western 
end, lengthening the basin for more than a mile. The manner 
in which the water flowed ont of the lake, beneath the leafy 
arches of the trees that lined the sides of the stream, has 
already been mentioned, and it has also been said that the rock, 
which was a favorite place of rendezvous throughout all that 
region, and where Deerslayer now expected to meet his friend, 
stood near this outlet, and at no great distance from the shore. 
It was a large isolated stone that rested on the bottom of the 
lake, apparently left there when the waters tore away the earth 
from around it, in forcing for themselves a passage down the river, 
and which had obtained its shape from the action of the ele- 
ments, during the slow progress of centuries. The height of 
this rock could scarcely equal six feet, and, as has been said, its 
shape was not unlike that which is usually given to beehives or 
to a haycock. The latter, indeed, gives the best idea not only 
of its form but of its dimensions. It stood, and still stands, for 
we are writing of real scenes, within fifty feet of the bank, and 
in water that was only two feet in depth, though there were 
seasons in which its rounded apex, if such a term can properly 
be used, was covered by the lake. Many of the trees stretched 
so far forward as almost to blend the rock with the shore, when 
seen from a little distance ; and one tall pine in particular over- 
hung it in a way to form a noble and appropriate canopy to a 
seat that had held many a forest chieftain during the long suc- 
cession of unknown ages in which America and all it contained 
"existed apart, in mysterious solitude, a world by itself ; equally 
without a familiar history, and without an origin that the 
annals of man can reach. 

When distant some two or three hundred feet from the shore, 
Deerslayer took in his sail, and he dropped his grapnel as soon 
as he found the ark had drifted in a line that was directly to 
windward of the rock. The motion of the scow was then 


150 


THE DEERSLAYER 


checked, when it was brought head to wind by the action of the 
breeze. As soon as this was done, Deerslayer “paid out line,” 
and suffered the vessel to “ set down ” upon the rock, as fast 
as the light air would force it to leeward. Floating entirely on 
the surface, this was soon effected, and the young man checked 
the drift when he was told that the stern of the scow was 
within fifteen or eighteen feet of the desired spot. 

In executing this manoeuvre, Deerslayer had proceeded 
promptly ; for while he did not in the least doubt that he was 
both watched and followed by the foe, he believed he had dis- 
tracted their movements by the apparent uncertainty of his own, 
and he knew they could have no means of ascertaining that the 
rock was his aim unless indeed one of the prisoners had betrayed 
him ; a chance so improbable in itself as to give him no con- 
cern. Notwithstanding the celerity and decision of his move- 
ments, he did not, however, venture so near the shore, without 
taking due precautions to effect a retreat, in the event of its 
becoming necessary. He held the line in his hand, and Judith 
was stationed at a loop on the side of the cabin next the shore, 
where she could watch the beach and the rocks, and give timely 
notice of the approach of either friend or foe. Hetty was also 
placed on watch, but it was to keep the trees overhead in view, 
lest some enemy might ascend one, and, by completely com- 
manding the interior of the scow, render the defences of the hut 
or cabin useless. 

The sun had disappeared from the lake and valley when 
Deerslayer checked the ark in the manner mentioned. Still it 
wanted a few minutes to the true sunset, and he knew Indian 
punctuality too well to anticipate any unmanly haste in his 
friend. The great question was, whether, surrounded by ene- 
mies as he was known to be, he had escaped their toils. The 
occurrences of the last twenty-four hours must be a secret to 
him, and, like himself, Chingachgook was yet young on a war- 
path. It was true, he came prepared to encounter the party 


THE DEERSLAYEE 


151 


that withheld his promised bride, but he had no means of ascer- 
taining the extent of the danger he ran, or the precise positions 
occupied by either friends or foes. In a word, the trained 
sagacity and untiring caution of an Indian were all he had to 
rely on, amid the critical risks he unavoidably ran. 

“Is the rock empty, Judith?” inquired Deerslayer, as soon 
as he had checked the drift of the ark, deeming it imprudent 
to venture unnecessarily near the shore. “ Is anything to be 
seen of the Delaware chief ? ” 

“Nothing, Deerslayeiv Neither rock, shore, tree, nor lake 
seems to have ever held a human form.” 

“Keep close, Judith — keep close, Hetty — a rifle has a pry- 
ing eye, a nimble foot, and a desperate fatal tongue. Keep 
close, then, but keep up active looks, and be on the alart. 
’T would grieve me to the very heart did any harm befall either 
of you.” 

“And you, Deerslayer!” exclaimed Judith, turning her 
handsome face from the loop, to bestow a gracious and grate- 
ful look on the young man ; “ do you ‘ keep close,’ and have a 
proper care that the savages do not catch a glimpse of you ! 
A bullet might be as fatal to you as to one of us ; an.d the blow 
that you felt would be felt by all.” 

“No fear of me, Judith — no fear of me, my good gal. Do 
not look thisaway, although you look so pleasant and comely, 
but keep your eyes on the rock, and the shore, and the — ” 

Deerslayer was interrupted by a slight exclamation from the 
girl, who, in obedience to his hurried gestures, as much as in 
obedience to his words, had immediately bent her looks again 
in the opposite direction. 

“What is’t? — what is ’t, Judith?” he hastily demanded. 
“ Is anything to be seen ? ” 

“ There is a man on the* rock 1 — an Indian warrior in his 
paint, and armed ! ” 

“Where does he wear his hawk’s feather?” eagcily added 


152 


THE DEERSLAYER 


Deerslayer, relaxing his hold of the line, in readiness to drift 
nearer the place of rendezvous. “ Is it fast to the war-lock, or 
does he carry it above the left ear ? ” 

“’Tis as you say, above the left ear; he smiles, too, and 
mutters the word ‘ Mohican.’ ” 

“ God be praised, ’t is the Sarpent at last ! ” exclaimed the 
young man, suffering the line to slip through his hands, until 
hearing a light bound in the other end of the craft, he instantly 
checked the rope, and began to liaul it in again, under the 
assurance that his object was effected. 

At that moment the door of the cabin was opened hastily, 
and a warrior, darting through the little room, stood at Deer- 
slayer’s side, simply uttering the exclamation “ Hugh ! ” At 
the next instant Judith and Hetty shrieked, and the air w’as 
filled with the yell of twenty savages, who came leaping through 
the branches down the bank, some actually falling headlong 
into the water in their haste. 

“ Pull, Deerslayer ! ” cried Judith, hastily barring the door, 
in order to prevent an inroad by the passage through which 
the Delaware had just entered ; “ pull for life and death — the 
lake is full of savages wading after us ! ” 

The young men — for Chingachgook immediately came to 
his friend’s assistance — needed no second bidding; but they 
applied themselves to their task in a way that showed how 
urgent they deemed the occasion. The great difficulty was in 
suddenly overcoming the vis inertice of so large a mass ; for 
once in motion, it was easy to cause the scow to skim the 
water with all* the necessary speed. 

“ Pull, Deerslayer, for Heaven’s sake ! ” cried Judith again 
at the loop. “ These wretches rush into the water like hounds 
following their prey ! Ah ! — the scow moves ! and now the 
water deepens to the armpits of the foremost ; still they rush 
forward, and will seize the ark ! ” 

A slight scream, and then a joyous laugh followed from the 


THE DEEIiSLAYER 


153 


girl ; the first produced by a desperate effort of their pursuers, 
and the last by its failure ; the scow, which had now got fairly 
in motion, gliding ahead into deep water with a velocity that 
set the designs of their enemies at naught. As the two men 
were prevented by the position of the cabin from seeing what 
passed astern, they were compelled to inquire of the girls into 
the state of the chase. 

“What now, Judith? — what next? Do the Mingos still 
follow, or are we quit of ’em for the present ? ” demanded Deer- 
slayer, when he felt the rope yielding, as if the scow was going 
fast ahead, and heard the scream and the laugh of the girl almost 
in the same breath. 

“ They have vanished ! — one, the last, is just burying him- 
self in the bushes of the bank — there, he has disappeared in 
the shadows of the trees ! You have got your friend, and we 
are all safe ! ” 

The two men now made another great effort, pulled the ark 
up swiftly to the grapnel, tripped it, and when the scow had 
shot some distance, and lost its way, they let the anchor drop 
again ; then, for the first time since their meeting, they ceased 
their efforts. As the floating house now lay several hundred 
feet from tlie shore, and offered a complete protection against 
bullets, there was no longer any danger, or any motive for 
immediate exertion. 

The maimer in which the two friends now recognized each 
other was highly characteristic. Chingachgook, a noble, tall, 
handsome, and athletic young Indian warrior, first examined 
his rifle with care, opening the pan to make sure the priming 
was not wet ; and assured of this important fact, he next cast 
furtive but observant glances around him at the strange habita- 
tion and at the two girls ; still he spoke not, and most of all 
did he avoid the betrayal of a womanish curiosity by asking 
questions. 

“Judith and Hetty,” said Deerslayer, with an untaught, 


154 


THE DEERSLAYER 


natural courtesy, “this is the Mohican chief of whom you’ve 
heard me speak ; Chingachgook,^,as he is called, which signifies 
the Big Sarpent ; so named for his wisdom, and prudence, and 
cunning ; my ’arliest and latest fri’nd. I know’d it must be he, 
by the hawk’s feather over the left ear, most other warriors 
wearing ’em on the war-lock.” 

As Deerslayer ceased speaking, he laughed heartily, excited 
more perhaps by the delight of having got his friend safe at his 
side, under circumstances so trying, than by any conceit that 
happened to cross his fancy, and exhibiting this outbreaking of 
feeling in a manner that was a little remarkable, since his 
merriment was not accompanied by any noise. Although 
Chingachgook both understood and spoke English, he was un- 
willing to communicate his thoughts in it, like most Indians ; 
and when he had met Judith’s cordial shake of the hand, and 
Hetty’s milder salute, in the courteous manner that became a 
chief, he turned away, apparently to await the moment when 
it might suit his friend to enter into an explanation of his future 
intentions, and to give a narrative of what had passed since 
their separation. The other understood his meaning, and dis- 
covered his own mode of reasoning in the matter by addressing 
the girls. 

“ This wind will soon die away altogether, now the sun is 
down,” he said, “and there is no need of rowing ag’in it. In 
half an hour or so, it will either be a flat calm or the air will 
come off from the south shore, when we will begin our journey 
back ag’in to the castle ; in the meanwhile, the Delaware and 
I will talk over matters, and get correct ideas of each other’s 
notions consarning the course we ought to take.” 

No one opposed this proposition, and the girls withdrew into 
the cabin to prepare the evening meal, while the two young 
men took their seats on the head of the scow, and began to 
converse. The dialogue was in the language of the Delawares. 
As that dialect, however, is but little understood, even by the 


THE DEERSLAYER 


155 


learned, we shall, not only on this but on all subsequent occa- 
sions, render such parts as it may be necessary to give closely 
into liberal English ; preserving, as far as possible, the idioms 
and peculiarities of the respective speakers, by way of present- 
ing the pictures in the most graphic forms to the minds of the 
readers. 

It is unnecessary to enter into the details first related by 
Deerslayer, who gave a brief narrative of the facts that are 
already familiar to those who have read our pages. In relating 
these events, however, it may be well to say that the speaker 
touched only on the outlines, more particularly abstaining from 
saying anything about his encounter with, and victory over the 
Iroquois, as well as to his own exertions in behalf of the deserted 
young women. When Deerslayer ended, the Delaware took up 
the narrative in turn, speaking sententiously, and with great 
dignity. His account was both clear and short, nor was it 
embellished by any incidents that did not directly concern the 
history of his departure from the villages of his people, and his 
arrival in the valley of the Susquehannah. On reaching the 
latter, which was at a point only half a mile south of the out- 
let, he had soon struck a trail, which gave him notice of the 
probable vicinity of enemies. Being prepared for such an oc- 
currence, the object of the expedition calling him directly into 
the neighborhood of the party of Iroquois that was known to 
be out, he considered the discovery as fortunate, rather than 
the reverse, and took the usual precautions to turn it to account. 
First following the river to its source, and ascertaining the 
position of the rock, he met another trail, and had actually been 
hovering for hours on the flanks of his enemies, watching 
equally for an opportunity to meet his mistress and to take a 
scalp ; and it may be questioned which he most ardently desired. 
He kept near the lake, and occasionally he ventured to some 
spot where he could get a view of what was passing on its 
surface. The ark had been seen and watched from the moment 


156 


THE DEERSLAYER 


it hove in sight, though the young chief was necessarily ignorant 
that it was to be the instrument of effecting the desired junction 
with his friend. * The uncertainty of its movements, and the fact 
that it was unquestionably managed by white men, led him to 
conjecture the truth, however, and he held himself in readiness 
to get on board whenever a suitable occasion might offer. As 
the sun drew near the horizon, he repaired to the rock, where, 
on emerging from the forest, he was gratified in finding the ark 
lying apparently in readiness to receive him. The manner of 
his appearance, and of his entrance into the craft, is known. 

Although Chingachgook had been closely watching his ene- 
mies for hours, their sudden and close pursuit, as he reached 
the scow, was as much a matter of surprise to himself as it had 
been to his friend. He could only account for it by the fact of 
their being more numerous than he had at first supposed, and 
by their having out parties, of the existence of which he was 
ignorant. Their regular and permanent encampment, if the 
word permanent can be applied to the residence of a party that 
intended to remain out, in all probability, but a few weeks, was 
not far from the spot where Hutter and Harry had fallen into 
their hands, and, as a matter of course, near a spring. 

“Well, Sarpent,” — asked Deerslayer, when the other had 
ended his brief but spirited narrative, speaking always in the 
Delaware tongue, which, for the reader’s convenience only, we 
render into the peculiar vernacular of the speaker, — “ Well, 
Sarpent, as you ’ve been scouting around these Mingos, have 
you anything to tell us of their captyves ; the father of these 
young women and another, who, I somewhat conclude, is the 
lovyer of one of ’em 1 ” 

“ Chingachgook has seen them. An old man and a young 
warrior, — the falling hemlock and the tall pine.” 

“You’re not so much out, Delaware; you’re not so much 
out. Old Hutter is decaying, of a sartainty, though many solid 
blocks might be hewn out of his trunk yet; and, as for Hurry 


THE DEERSLA YER 


157 


Harry, so far as height, and strength, and comeliness go, he may 
be called the pride of the human forest. Were the men bound, 
or in any manner suftering torture? I ask on account of the 
young women ; who, I dare say, would be glad to know.” 

“ It is not so, Deerslayer. The Mingos are too many to cage 
their game. Some watch, some sleep, some scout, some hunt. 
The pale- faces are treated like brothers to-day ; to-morrow they 
will lose their scalps.” 

“ Yes, that ’s red natur’, and must be submitted to ! Judith 
and Hetty, here’s comfortable tidings for you, the Delaware 
telling me that neither your father nor Hurry Harry is in suffer- 
ing : but, bating the loss of liberty, as well off as we are our- 
selves. Of course they are kept in the camp ; otherwise they 
do much as they please.” 

“I rejoice to hear this, Deerslayer,” returned Judith, “and 
now we are joined by your friend, I make no manner of ques- 
tion that we shall find an opportunity to ransom the prisoners. 
If there are any women in the camp, I have articles of dress 
that will catch their eyes ; and, should the worst come to the 
worst, we can open the good chest, which, I think, will be 
found to hold things that may tempt the chiefs.” 

“Judith,” said the young man, looking up at her with a 
smile, and an expression of earnest curiosity, that, spite of the 
growing obscurity, did not escape the watchful looks of the girl, 
“can you find it in your heart to part with your own finery to 
release prisoners ; even though one be your own father, and the 
other is your sworn suitor and lovyer?” 

The flush on the face of the girl arose in part from resent- 
ment, but more perhaps from a gentler and novel feeling, that, 
with the capricious waywardness of taste, had been rapidly ren- 
dering her more sensitive to the good opinion of the youth who 
questioned her, than to that of any other person. Suppress- 
ing the angry sensation with instinctive quickness, she answered 
with a readiness and truth that caused her sister to draw near 


158 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


to listen, though the obtuse intellect of the latter was far from 
comprehending the workings of a heart as treacherous, as uncer- 
tain, and as impetuous in its feelings as that of the spoiled and 
flattered beauty. 

“Deerslayer,” answered Judith, after a moment’s pause, “I 
shall be honest with you. I confess that the time has been 
when what you call finery was to me the dearest thing on 
earth ; but I begin to feel differently. Though Hurry Harry is 
naught to me, nor ever can be, I would give all I own to set 
him free. If I would do this for blustering, bullying, talking 
Hurry, who has nothing but good looks to recommend him, you 
may judge what I would do for my own father.” 

“ This sounds well, and is according to woman’s gifts. Ah ’s 
me ! The same feelin’s is to be found among the young women 
of the Delawares. I ’ve known ’em, often and often, sacrifice 
their vanity to their hearts. ’T is as it should be — ’t is as it 
should be, I suppose, in both colors. Woman was created for 
the feelin’s, and is pretty much ruled by feelin’ ! ” 

“Would the savages let father go, if Judith and I gave them 
all our best things?” demanded Hetty, in her innocent, mild 
manner. 

“ Their women might interfere, good Hetty ; yes, their women 
might interfere with such an ind in view. But, tell me, Sarpent, 
how it is as to squaws among the knaves ; have they many of 
their own women in the camp ? ” 

The Delaware heard and understood all that passed ; though 
with Indian gravity and finesse he had sat, with averted face, 
seemingly inattentive to a discourse in which he had no direct 
concern. Thus appealed to, however, he answered his friend in 
his ordinary sententious manner. 

“Six,” he said, holding up all the fingers of one hand, and 
the thumb of the other; “besides The last number 

denoted his betrothed ; whom, with the poetry and truth of 
nature, he described by laying his hand on his own heart. 


THE DEERSLA YER 


159 


“ Did you see her, chief — did you get a glimpse of her pleas- 
ant countenance, or come close enough to her ear to sing in it 
the song she loves to hear? ” 

“No, Deerslayer, — the trees were too many, and leaves 
covered their boughs, like clouds hiding the heavens in a storm. 
But/’ — and the young warrior turned his dark face towards his 
friend, with a smile on it that illuminated its fierce-looking paint 
and naturally stern lineaments with a bright gleam of human 
feeling, — “ Chingachgook heard the laugh of Wah-ta-Wah ; he 
knew it from the laugh of the women of the Iroquois. It 
sounded in his ears like the chirp of the wren.” 

“ Ay, trust a lovyer’s ear for that ; and a Delaware’s ear for 
all sounds that are ever heard in the woods. I know not why 
it is so, Judith, but when young men — and I dare to say it 
may be all the same with young women too — but when they 
get to have kind feelin’s towards each other, it’s wonderful 
how pleasant the laugh or the speech becomes to the other 
person. I ’ve seen grim warriors listening to the chattering and 
the laughing of young gals as if it was church music ; such as is 
heard in the old Dutch church that stands in the great street 
of Albany, where I ’ve been more than once, with peltry and 
game’.” 

“And you^ Deerslayer,” said Judith quickly, and with more 
sensibility than marked her usually light and thoughtless man- 
ner; “have you never felt how pleasant it is to listen to the 
laugh of the girl you love ? ” 

“Lord bless you, gal! — why I’ve never lived enough 
among my own color to drop into them sort of feelin’s, — no, 
never ! I dare to say, they are nat’ral and right ; but to me 
there ’s no music so sweet as the sighing of the wind in the tree- 
tops, and the rippling of a stream from a full, sparkling native 
fountain of pure fresh water; unless, indeed,” he continued, 
dropping his head for an instant in a thoughtful manner, “ unless, 
indeed, it be the open mouth of a sartain hound, when I ’m on 


1()0 


THE DEKRSL . 1 YER 


the track of a fat buck. As for unsartain dogs, I care little for 
their cries, seein’ they are as likely to speak when the deer is 
not in sight as when it is.” 

Judith walked slowly and pensively away, nor was there 
any of her ordinary calculating coquetry in the light tremulous 
sigh that, unconsciously to herself, arose to her lips. On the 
other hand, Hetty listened with guileless attention ; though it 
struck her simple mind as singular that the young man should 
prefer the melody of the woods to the songs of girls, or even to 
the laugh of innocence and joy. Accustomed, however, to defer 
in most things to her sister, she soon followed Judith into the 
cabin, where she took a seat, and remained pondering intensely 
over some occurrence, or resolution, or opinion, which was a 
secret to all but herself. Left alone, Deerslayer and his friend 
resumed their discourse. 

“Has the young pale-face hunter been long on this lake?” 
demanded the Delaware, after courteously waiting for the other 
to speak first. 

“ Only since yesterday noon, Sarpent ; though that has been 
long enough to see and do much.” 

The gaze that the Indian fastened on his companion was so 
keen that it seemed to mock the gathering darkness of the night. 
As the other furtively returned his look, he saw the two black 
eyes glistening on him, like the balls of the panther, or those of 
the penned wolf. He understood the meaning of this glowing 
gaze, and answered evasively, as he fancied would best become 
the modesty of a white man’s gifts. 

“ ’T is as you suspect, Sarpent ; yes, ’t is somewhat that- 
away. I have fell in with the inimy, and I suppose it may be 
said I ’ve fou’t them, too.” 

An exclamation of delight and exultation escaped the Indian ; ; 
and then, laying his hand eagerly on the arm of his friend, he 
asked if there were any scalps taken. 

“ That I will maintain, in the face of all the Delaware tribe, 


THE DEERSLAYER 


161 


old Tamenund, and your father, the great Uncas, as well as the 
rest, is ag’in white gifts ! scalp is on my head, as you can 

see, Sarpent, and that was the only scalp that was in danger, 
when one side was altogether Christian and white.” 

“ Did no warrior fall ? — Deerslayer did not get his name by 
being slow of sight, or clumsy with the rifle ! ” 

“ In that particular, chief, you ’re nearer reason, and tliere- 
fore nearer being right. I may say one Mingo fell.” 

“ A chief ! ” demanded the other, with startling vehemence. 

“ Nay, that ’s more than I know or can say. He was artful, 
and treacherous, and stout-hearted, and may well have gained 
popularity enough with his people to be named to that rank. 
The man fou’t well, though his eye was n’t quick enough for one 
who had had his schooling in your company, Delaware.” 

“ My brother and friend struck the body ? ” 

“ That was uncalled for, seeing that the Mingo died in my 
arms. The truth may as well be said at once ; he fou’t like a 
man of red gifts, and I fou’t like a man with gifts of my own 
color. God gave me the victory ; I could n’t fly in the face of 
his providence by forgetting my birth and natur’. White he 
made me, and white I shall live and die.” 

“ Good ! Deerslayer is a pale-face, and has pale-face hands. 
A Delaware will look for the scalp, and hang it on a pole, and 
sing a song in his honor, when we go back to our people. The 
honor belongs to the tribe ; it must not be lost.” 

“ This is easy talking, but ’t will not be as easy doing. The 
Mingo’s body is in the hands of his fri’nds, and, no doubt, is 
hid in some hole, where Delaware cunning will never be able to 
get at his scalp.” 

The young man then gave his friend a succinct, but clear 
account of the event of the morning, concealing nothing of any 
moment, and yet touching on everything modestly and with a 
careful attention to avoid the Indian habit of boasting. Chin- 
gachgook again expressed bis satisfaction at the honor won by 


162 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


his friend, and then both arose, the hour having arrived when 
it became prudent to move the ark farther from the land. 

It was now quite dark ; the heavens having become clouded, 
and the stars hid. The north wind had ceased, as was usual, 
with the setting of the sun, and a light air arose from the 
south. This change favoring the design of Deerslayer, he lifted 
his grapnel, and the scow immediately and quite perceptibly 
began to drift more into the lake. The sail was set, when the 
motion of the craft increased to a rate not much less than two 
miles in the hour. As this superseded the necessity of rowing 
• — an occupation that an Indian would not be likely to desire — 
Deerslayer, Chingachgook, and Judith seated themselves in the 
stern of the scow, where the first governed its movements by 
holding the oar. Here they discoursed on their future move- 
ments, and on the means tliat ought to be used in order to 
effect the liberation of their friends. 

In this dialogue Judith lield a material part ; the Delaware 
readily understanding all she said, while his own replies and 
remarks, both of which were few and pithy, -were occasionally 
rendered into English by liis friend. Judith rose greatly in the 
estimation of her companions, in the half-hour that followed. 
Prompt of resolution and firm of purpose, her suggestions and 
expedients partook of her spirit and sagacity, both of which 
were of a character to find favor with men of the frontier. The 
events that had occurred since their meeting, as well as her 
isolated and dependent situation, induced the girl to feel towards 
Deerslayer like the friend of a year, instead of an acquaintance 
of a day ; and so completely had she been won by his guileless 
truth of character and of feeling — pure novelties in our sex, as 
respected her own experience — that his peculiarities excited 
her curiosity, and created a confidence that had never been 
awakened by any other man. Hitherto she had been com- 
pelled to stand on the defensive in her intercourse with men, — 
with what success was best known to herself ; but here had she 


THE DEERSLAYER 


163 


been suddenly thrown into the society and under the protection 
of a youth who evidently as little contemplated evil towards 
herself as if he had been lier brother. The freshness of his 
integrity, the poetry and truth of his feelings, and even the 
quaintness of his forms of speech, all had their influence, and 
aided in awakening an interest that she found as pure as it was 
sudden and deep. Hurry’s fine face and manly form had never 
compensated for his boisterous and vulgar turn ; and her inter- 
course with the officers had prepared her to make comparisons 
under which even his great natural advantages suffered. But 
this very intercourse with the officers who occasionally came 
upon the lake to fish and hunt, had an effect in producing her 
present sentiments towards the younger stranger. With them, 
while her vanity had been gratified, and her self-love strongly 
awakened, she had many causes deeply to regret the acquaint- 
ance, — if not to mourn over it in secret sorrow, — for it was 
impossible for one of her quick intellect not to perceive how 
hollow was the association between superior and inferior, and 
that she was regarded as the plaything of an idle hour, rather 
than as an equal and a friend, by even the best intentioned and 
least designing of her scarlet-clad admirers. Deerslayer, on the 
other hand, had a window in his breast, through which the light 
of his honesty was ever shining ; and even his indifference to 
charms that so rarely failed to produce a sensation piqued the 
pride of the girl, and gave liim an interest that another, seem- 
ingly more favored by nature, might have failed to excite. 

In this manner half-an-hour passed, during which time the 
ark had been slowly stealing over the water, the darkness 
thickening around it ; though it was easy to see that the gloom 
of the forest at the southern end of the lake was getting to be 
distant, while the mountains that lined the sides of the beautiful 
basin were overshadowing it, nearly from side to side. There 
was, indeed, a narrow stripe of water, in the centre of the lake, 
where the dim light that was still shed from the heavens fell 


164 


THE DEERSLAYER 


upon its surface, in a line extending north and south ; and 
along this faint tract — a sort of inverted milky- way, in which 
the obscurity was not quite as dense as in other places — the 
scow held her course, he who steered well knowing that it led 
in the direction he wished to go. The reader is not to suppose, 
however, that any difficulty could exist as to the course. This 
would have been determined by that of the air, had it not been 
possible to distinguish the mountains, as well as by the dim 
opening to the south, which marked the position of the valley in 
that quarter, above the plain of tall trees, by a sort of lessened 
obscurity ; the difference between the darkness of the forest, and 
that of the night, as seen only in the air. The peculiarities 
at length caught the attention of Judith and the Deerslayer, 
and the conversation ceased, to allow each to gaze at the solemn 
stillness and deep repose of nature. 

“ ’T is a gloomy night,” observed the girl, after a pause of 
several minutes. “ I hope we may be able to ffnd the castle.” 

“ Little fear of our missing that, if we keep this path, in the 
middle of the lake,” returned the young man. “ Natur’ has 
made us a road here, and, dim as it is, there ’ll be little difficulty 
in following it.” 

“Do you hear nothing, Deerslayer? It seemed as if the 
water was stirring quite near us ! ” 

“ Sartainly something did move the water, oncommon like ; 
it must have been a fish. Them creatur’s prey upon each other 
like men and animals on the land ; one has leaped into the air, 
and fallen back hard into his own element. ’T is of little use, 
Judith, for any to strive to get out of their elements, since it ’s 
natur’ to stay in ’em ; and natur’ will have its way. Ha ! that 
sounds like a paddle, used with more than common caution ! ” 

At this moment the Delaware bent forward and pointed 
significantly into the boundary of gloom, as if some object had 
suddenly caught his eye. Both Deerslayer and Judith followed 
the direction of his gesture^ and each got a view of a canoe at tho 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


165 


same instant. The glimpse of this startling neighbor was dim, 
and, to eyes less practised, it might have been uncertain ; though 
to those in the ark, the object was evidently a canoe, with a 
single individual in it : the latter standing erect and paddling. 
How many lay concealed in its bottom, of course could not be 
known. Flight, by means of oars, from a bark canoe impelled 
by vigorous and skilful hands, was utterly impracticable, and 
each of the men seized his rifle in expectation of a conflict. 

“I can easily bring down the paddler,” whispered Deerslayer, 
“but we’ll first hail him and ask his arr’nd.” Then raising 
his voice, he continued in a solemn manner : “ Hold ! If you 
come nearer I must fire, though contrary to my wishes, and 
then sartain death will follow. Stop paddling, and answer ! ” 

“Fire, and slay a poor defenceless girl,” returned a soft, 
tremulous female voice, “ and God will never forgive you ! Go 
your way, Deerslayer, and let me go mine.” 

“ Hetty ! ” exclaimed the young man and Judith in a breath ; 
and the former sprang instantly to the spot where he had left 
the canoe they had been towing. It was gone, and he under- 
stood the whole affair. As for the fugitive, frightened at the 
menace, she ceased paddling, and remained dimly visible, re- 
sembling a spectral outline of a human form, standing on the 
water. At the next moment the sail was lowered to prevent 
the ark from passing the spot where the canoe lay. This last 
expedient, however, was not taken in time ; for the momentum 
of so heavy a craft and the impulsion of the air soon set her by, 
bringing Hetty directly to windward, though still visible, as the 
change in the positions of the two boats now placed her in that 
species of milky-way which has been mentioned. 

“ What can this mean, Judith ? ” demanded Deerslayer. 
“ Why has your sister taken the canoe, and left us ? ” 

“You know she is feeble-minded, poor girl ! and she has her 
own ideas of what ought to be done. She loves her father 
more than most children love their parents — and then — ” 


166 


ms: deerslater 


“ Then what, girl ? This is a trying moment ; one in which 
truth must be spoken ! ” 

Judith felt a generous and womanly regret at betraying her 
sister, and she hesitated ere she spoke again. But once more 
urged by Deerslayer, and conscious herself of all the risks the 
whole party was running by the indiscretion of Hetty, she 
could refrain no longer. 

“ Then I fear, poor, weak-minded Hetty has not been alto- 
gether able to see the vanity, and madness, and folly that lie 
hid behind the handsome face and fine form of Hurry Harry. 
She talks of him in her sleep, and sometimes betrays the in- 
clination in her waking moments.” 

“You think, Judith, that your sister is now bent on some 
mad scheme to serve her father and Hurry, which will, in all 
likelihood, give them riptyles, the Mingos, the mastership of a 
canoe 1 ” 

“ Such, I fear, will turn out to be the fact, Deerslayer. Poor 
Hetty has hardly sufficient cunning to outwit a savage.” 

All tills while the canoe, with the form of Hetty erect in one 
end of it, was dimly perceptible ; though the greater drift of 
the ark rendered it at each instant less and less distinct. It 
was evident no time was to be lost, lest it should altogether 
disappear. The rifles were now laid aside as useless ; the two 
men seizing the oars, and sweeping the head of the scow round 
in the direction of the canoe. Judith, accustomed to the office, 
flew to the other end of the ark and placed herself at what 
might be called the helm. Hetty took the alarm at these 
preparations, which could not be made without noise, and 
started off like a bird that had been suddenly put up by the 
approach of unexpected danger. 

As Deerslayer and his companion rowed with the energy of 
those who felt the necessity of straining every nerve, and Hetty^s 
strength was impaired by a nervous desire to escape, the chase 
would have quickly terminated in the capture of tlie fugitive 


THE DEEHSLAYER 


167 


had not the girl made several short and unlooked-for deviations 
in her course. These turnings gave her time, and they had 
also the effect of gradually bringing both canoe and ark within 
the deeper gloom cast by the shadows from the hills. They 
also gradually increased the distance betw^een the fugitive and 
her pursuers, until Judith called out to her companions to cease 
rowing, for she had completely lost sight of the canoe. 

When this mortifying announcement was made, Hetty was 
actually so near as to understand every syllable her sister 
uttered ; though the latter had used the precaution of speak- 
ing as low as circumstances would allow her to do, and make 
herself heard. Hetty stopped paddling at the same moment, 
and waited the result with an impatience that was breathless, 
equally from her late exertions and her desire to land. A dead 
silence immediately fell on the lake ; during which the three 
in the ark w^ere using their senses differently in order to detect 
the position of the canoe. Judith leant forward to listen, in 
the hope of catching some sound that might betray the direction 
in which her sister was stealing away ; while her two compan- 
ions brought their eyes as near as possible to a level with the 
water, in order to detect any object that might be floating on 
its surface. All was vain, however, for neither sound nor sight 
rewarded their efforts. All this time, Hetty, who had not tlie 
cunning to sink into the canoe, stood erect, a finger pressed on 
her lips, gazing in the direction in which the voices had been 
heard, resembling a statue of profound and timid attention. 
Her ingenuity had barely sufficed to enable her to seize the 
canoe and to quit the ark in the noiseless manner related ; and 
then it appeared to be momentarily exhausted. Even the 
doubling of the canoe had been as much the consequence of an 
uncertain hand, and of nervous agitation, as of any craftiness 
or calculation. 

The pause continued several minutes ; during which Deer- 
slayer and the Delaware conferred together in the language of 


10.9 


THE DEERSLAYEn 


the latter. Then the oars dipped again, and the ark moved 
away, rowing with as little noise as possible. It steered west- 
ward, a little southerly, or in the direction of the encampment 
of the enemy. Having reached a point at no great distance 
from the shore, and where the obscurity was intense, on account 
of the proximity of the land, it lay there near an hour, in wait- 
ing for the expected approach of Hetty ; who, it was thought, 
would make the best of her way to that spot as soon as she 
believed herself relieved from the danger of pursuit. No suc- 
cess rewarded this little blockade, however ; neither appearance 
nor sound denoting the passage of the canoe. Disappointed at 
this failure, and conscious of the importance of getting posses- 
sion of the fortress before it could be seized by the enemy, 
Deerslayer now took his way towards the castle, with the 
apprehension that all his foresight in securing the canoes would 
be defeated by this unguarded and alarming movement on the 
part of the feeble-minded Hetty. 


CHAPTER X 

“ But who in this wild wood 
May credit give to either eye or ear ? 

From rocky precipice or hollow cave, 

’Midst the confused sound of rustling leaves, 

And crackling boughs, and cries of nightly birds. 

Returning seeming answer.” 

Joanna Baillie. 

Fear, as much as calculation, had induced Hetty to cease 
paddling, when she found that her pursuers did not know in 
which direction to proceed. She remained stationary, until the 
ark had pulled in near the encampment, as has been related in |) 
the preceding chapter ; when she resumed the paddle, and with 


THE DEERSLAYER 


169 


cautious strokes made the best of her way towards the western 
shore. In order to avoid her pursuers, however, who, she 
rightly suspected, would soon be rowing along that shore them- 
selves, the head of the canoe was pointed so far north as to 
bring her to land on a point that thrust itself into the lake, at 
the distance of near a league from the outlet. Nor was this 
altogether the result of a desire to escape ; for, feeble-minded 
as she was, Hetty Hutter had a good deal of that instinctive 
caution which so often keeps those whom God has thus visited 
from harm. She was perfectly aware of the importance of 
keeping the canoes from falling into the hands of the Iroquois ; 
and long familiarity with the lake had suggested one of the 
simplest expedients, by which this great object could be ren- 
dered compatible with her own purpose. 

The point in question was the first projection that offered on 
that side of the lake, where a canoe, if set adrift with a southerly 
air, would float clear of the land ; and where it would be no 
great violation of probabilities to suppose it might even hit the 
castle ; the latter lying above it, almost in a direct line with 
the wind. Such, then, was Hetty’s intention ; and she landed 
on the extremity of the gravelly point, beneath an overhanging 
oak, with the express intention of shoving the canoe off from 
the shore, in order that it might drift up towards her father’s 
insulated abode. She knew, too, from the logs that occasionally 
floated about the lake, that did it miss the castle and its ap- 
pendages, the wind would be likely to change before the canoe 
could reach the northern extremity of the lake, and that Deer- 
slayer might have an opportunity of regaining it in the morning, 
when no doubt he would be earnestly sweeping the surface of 
the water, and the whole of its wooded shores, with the glass. 
In all this, too, Hetty was less governed by any chain of rea- 
soning than by her habits ; the latter often supidying the de- 
fects of mind in human beings, as they perform the same office 
for animals of the inferior classes. 


170 


THE DEERSLAYER 


The girl was quite an hour finding her way to the point, the 
distance and the obscurity equally detaining her ; but she was 
no sooner on the gravelly beach than she prepared to set the 
canoe adrift, in the manner mentioned. While in the act of 
pushing it from her, she heard low voices that seemed to come 
from among the trees behind her. Startled at this unexpected 
danger, Hetty was on the point of springing into the canoe 
again, in order to seek safety in flight, when she thought she 
recognized the tones of Judith’s melodious voice. Bending for- 
ward so as to catch the sounds more directly, they evidently 
came from the water ; and then she understood that the ark 
was approaching from the south, and so close in with the west- 
ern shore as necessarily to cause it to pass the point witliin 
twenty yards of the spot where she stood. Here, then, was all 
she could desire ; the canoe was shoved off into the lake, leaving 
its late occupant alone on the narrow strand. 

When this act of self-devotion was performed, Hetty did not 
retire. The foliage of the overhanging trees and bushes would 
have almost concealed her person had there been light ; but in 
that obscurity, it was utterly impossible to discover any object 
thus shaded, at the distance of a few feet. Flight, too, was 
perfectly easy, as twenty steps would effectually bury her in the 
forest. She remained, therefore, watching with intense anxiety 
the result of her expedient, intending to call the attention of 
the others to the canoe with her voice, should they appear to 
pass without observing it. The ark approached under its sail 
again ; Deerslayer standing in its bow, with Judith near him, 
and the Delaware at the helm. It would seem that, in the 
bay below, it had got too close to the shore, in the lingering 
hope of intercepting Hetty ; for, as it came nearer, the latter 
distinctly heard the directions that the young man forward gave 
to his companion, in order to clear the point. 

“ Lay her head more off the shore, Delaware,” said Deerslayer, 
for the third time, speaking in English, that his fair companion 


THE DEERSLAYER 


171 


might understand his words ; “ lay her head well off shore. We 
have got embayed here, and needs keep the mast clear of the 
trees. Judith, there ’s a canoe ! ” 

The last words were uttered with great earnestness, and 
Deerslayer’s hand was on his rifle ere they were fairly out of 
his mouth. But the truth flashed on the mind of the quick- 
witted girl, and she instantly told her companion that the boat 
must be that in which her sister had fled. 

“ Keep the scow straight, Delaware ; steer as straight as your 
bullet flies when sent ag’in a buck ; there, — I have it.” 

The canoe was seized, and immediately secured again to the 
side of the ark. At the next moment the sail was lowered, and 
the motion of the ark arrested, by means of the oars. 

“Hetty !” called out Judith, concern, even affection, betray- 
ing itself in her tones; “are you within hearing, sister — for 
God’s sake answer, and let me hear the sound of your voice 
again ! Hetty ! — dear Hetty ! ” 

“ I ’m here, Judith — here on the shore, where it will be use- 
less to follow me ; as I will hide in the woods.” 

“ Oh ! Hetty, what is ’t you do ! Remember ’t is drawing near 
midnight, and that the woods are filled with savages and wild 
beasts ! ” 

“Neither will harm a poor half-witted girl, Judith. God is 
as much with me here as he would be in the ark, or in ttie hut. 
I am going to help my father and poor Hurry Harry ; who will 
be tortured and slain, unless some one cares for them.” 

“ We all care for them, and intend to-morrow to send them 
a flag of truce to buy their ransom. Come back then, sister ; 
trust to us, who have better heads than you, and who will do 
all we can for father.” 

“ I know your head is better than mine, Judith, for mine is 
veiy weak, to be sure ; but I must go to father and poor Hurry. 
Do you and Deerslayer keep the castle, sister ; leave me in the 
hands of God.” 


172 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ God is with us all, Hetty — in the castle, or on the shore 
— father as well as ourselves ; and it is sinful not to trust to 
his goodness. You can do nothing in the dark ; will lose your 
way in the forest, and perish for want of food.” 

“ God will not let that happen to a poor child that goes to 
serve her father, sister. I must try and find the savages.” 

“ Come back, for this night only ; in the morning we will put 
you ashore, and leave you to do as you may think right.” 

“ You say so, Judith, and you think so ; but you would not. 
Your heart would soften, and you ’d see tomahawks and scalp- , 

ing-knives in the air. Besides, I Ve got a thing to tell the | 

Indian chief that will answer all our wishes ; and I ’m afraid I j 

may forget it if I don’t tell it to him at once. You ’ll see that * 

he will let father go as soon as he hears it ! ” 

“ Poor Hetty ! What can you say to a ferocious savage, \ 
that will be likely to change his bloody purpose ! ” ! 

“ That which will frighten him, and make him let father go,” 
returned the simple-minded girl, positively. “You’ll see, sis- 
ter ; you ’ll see how soon it will bring him to, like a gentle 
child ! ” I 

“Will you tell me, Hetty, what you intend to say?” asked i 
Deerslayer ; “ I know the savages well, and can form some idee 
how far fair words will be likely, or not, to work on their bloody 
natur’s. If it ’s not suited to the gifts of a redskin, ’t will be i 
of no use ; for reason goes by gifts, as well as conduct.” 

“Well, then,” answered Hetty, dropping her voice to a low, 
confidential tone ; for the stillness of the night and the nearness • 
of the ark permitted her to do this, and still .to be heard, — 

“ Well, then, Deerslayer, as you seem a good and honest young , 
man, I will tell you. I mean not to say a word to any of the I 
savages until I get face to face with their head chief, let them 
plague me with as many questions as they please ; no — I ’ll 
answer none of them, unless it be to tell them to lead me to 
their wisest man. Then, Deerslayer, I ’ll tell him tliat God 


THE DEERSLAYER 


173 


will not forgive murder and thefts ; and that if father and 
Hurry did go after the scalps of the Iroquois, he must return 
good for evil, for so the Bible commands, else he will go into 
everlasting punishment. When he hears this, and feels it to 
be true, as feel it he must, how long will it be before he sends 
father, and Hurry, and me, to the shore, opposite the castle ; 
telling us all three to go our way in peace ? ” 

The last question was put in a triumphant manner ; and then 
the simple-minded girl laughed at the impression she never 
doubted that her project had made on her auditors. Deerslayer 
was dumfounded at this proof of guileless feebleness of mind ; 
but Judith had suddenly bethought her of a means of counter- 
acting this wild project, by acting on the very feelings that had 
given it birth. Without adverting to the closing question, or 
the laugh, therefore, she hurriedly called to her sister by name, 
as one suddenly impressed with the importance of what she had 
to say. But no answer was given to the call. 

By the snapping of twigs, and the rustling of leaves, Hetty 
had evidently quitted the shore, and was already burying her- 
self in the forest. To follow would have been bootless, since 
the darkness, as well as the dense cover that the woods every- 
where afforded, would have rendered her capture next to impos- 
sible ; and there was also the never-ceasing danger of falling 
into the hands of their enemies. After a short and melan- 
choly discussion, therefore, the sail was again set, and the ark 
pursued its course towards its habitual moorings; Deerslayer 
silently felicitating himself on the recovery of the canoe, and 
brooding over his plans for the morrow. The wind rose as the 
party quitted the point, and in less than an hour they reached 
the castle. Here all was found as it had been left ; and the 
reverse of the ceremonies had to be taken in entering the build- 
ing, that had been used on quitting it. Judith occupied a soli- 
tary bed that night, bedewing the pillow with her tears, as she 
thought of the innocent and hitherto neglected creature, who 


174 


THE DEERSLAYER 


had been her companion from childhood ; and bitter regrets 
came over her mind, from more causes than one, as the weary 
hours passed away, making it nearly morning before she lost 
her recollection in sleep. Deerslayer and the Delaware took 
their rest in the ark, where we shall leave them enjoying the 
deep sleep of the honest, the healthful, and fearless, to return 
to the girl we have last seen in the midst of the forest. 

When Hetty left the shore, she took her way unhesitatingly 
into the woods with a nervous apprehension of being followed. 
Luckily, this course was the best she could have hit on to effect 
her own purpose, since it was the only one that led her from the 
point. The night was' so intensely* dark, beneath the branches 
of the trees, that her progress was very slow, and the direction 
she went altogether a matter of chance, after the first few yards. 
The formation of the ground, however, did not permit her to 
deviate far from the line in which she desired to proceed. On 
one hand, it was soon bounded by the acclivity of the hill ; while 
the lake on the other served as a guide. For two hours did this 
single-hearted and simple-minded girl toil through the mazes of 
the forest ; sometimes finding herself on the brow of the bank 
that bounded the water, and at others struggling up an ascent 
that warned her to go no farther in that direction, since it neces- 
sarily ran at right angles to the course on which she wished to 
proceed. Her feet often slid from beneath her, and she got 
many falls, though none to do her injury ; but, by the end of 
the period mentioned, she had become so weary as to want 
strength to go any farther. Rest was indispensable ; and she 
set about preparing a bed, with the readiness and coolness of 
one to whom the wilderness presented no unnecessary terrors. 
She knew that wild beasts roamed through all the adjacent 
forest, but animals that preyed on the human species were rare, 
and of dangerous serpents there were literally none. These 
facts had been taught her by her father; and whatever her 
feeble mind received at all, it received so confidingly as to leave 


THE DEERSLAYER 


175 


her no uneasiness from any doubts or skepticism. To her the 
sublimity of the solitude in which she was placed was soothing 
rather than appalling ; and she gathered a bed of leaves, with 
as much indifference to the circumstances that would have driven 
the thoughts of sleep entirely from the minds of most of her 
sex, as if she had been preparing her place of nightly rest 
beneath the paternal roof. 

As soon as Hetty had collected a sufficient number of the 
dried leaves to protect her person from the damps of the 
ground, she kneeled beside the humble pile, clasped her raised 
hands in an attitude of deep devotion, and in a soft, low, but 
audible voice, repeated the Lord’s Prayer. This was followed 
by those simple and devout verses, so familiar to children, in 
which she recommended her soul to God, should it be called 
away to another state of existence ere the return of morning. 
This duty done, she lay down, and disposed herself to sleep. 
The attire of the girl, though suited to the season, was suffi- 
ciently warm for all ordinary purposes ; but the forest is ever 
cool, and the nights of that elevated region of country have 
always a freshness about them that renders clothing more neces- 
sary than is commonly the case in the summers of a low lati- 
tude. This had been foreseen by Hetty, who had brought with 
her a coarse, heavy mantle, which, when laid over her body, 
answered all the useful purposes of a blanket. Thus protected, 
she dropped asleep in a few minutes, as tranquilly as if watched 
over by the guardian care of that mother who had so recently 
been taken froifi her forever, — affording, in this particular, a 
most striking contrast between her own humble couch and the 
sleepless pillow of her sister. 

Hour passed after hour, in a tranquillity as undisturbed and 
a rest as sweet as if angels, expressly commissioned for that 
object, watched around the bed of Hetty Hutter. . Not once 
did her soft eyes open, until the gray of dawn came struggling 
through the tops of the trees, falling on their lids, and^ united 


176 


THE DEEESLAYER 


to the freshness of a summer’s morning, giving the usual sum- 
mons to awake. Ordinarily, Hetty was up ere the rays of the 
sun tipped the summits of the mountains ; but on this occasion 
her fatigue had been so great, and her rest was so profound, that 
the customary warnings failed of their effect. The girl mur- 
mured in her sleep, threw an arm forward, smiled as gently as 
an infant in its cradle, but still slumbered. In making this 
unconscious gesture, her hand fell on some object that was 
warm, and, in the half unconscious state in which she lay, she 
connected the circumstance with her habits. At the next 
moment, a rude attack was made on her side, as if a rooting 
animal were thrusting its snout beneath, with a desire to force 
her position; and then, uttering the name of “Judith,” she 
awoke. As the startled girl arose to a sitting attitude, she 
perceived that some dark object sprang from her, scattering 
the leaves and snapping the fallen twigs in its haste. Opening 
her eyes, and recovering from the first confusion and astonish- 
ment of her situation, Hetty perceived a cub, of the common i 
American brown bear, balancing itself on its hinder legs, and 
still looking towards her, as if doubtful whether it would be 
safe to trust itself near her person again. The first impulse of 
Hetty, who had been mistress of several of these cubs, was to 
run and seize the little creature as a prize, but a loud growl 
warned her of the danger of such a procedure. Recoiling a 
few steps, the girl looked hurriedly round, and perceived the 
dam watching her movements, with fiery eyes, at no great dis- 
tance. A hollow tree, that had once been tlie home of bees, 
having recently fallen, the mother, with two more cubs, was 
feasting on the dainty food that this accident had placed within 
her reach ; while the first kept a jealous eye on the situation of 
its truant and reckless young. 

It would exceed all the means of human knowledge to pre-. 
tend to analyze the influences that govern the acts of the lower 
animals. On this occasion, the dam, though proverbially fierce | 


THE IJEER^LAYER 


l77 


when its young is thought to be in clanger, manifested no inten- 
tion to attack the girl. It quitted the honey, and advanced to 
a place within twenty feet of her, where it raised itself on its 
hinder legs, and balanced its body in a sort of angry, growling 
discontent, but approached no nearer. Happily, Hetty did not 
fly. On the contrary, though not without terror, she knelt 
with her face towards the animal, and with clasped hands and 
uplifted eyes, repeated the. prayer of the previous night. This 
act of devotion was not the result of alarm ; it was a duty she 
never neglected to perform ere she slept, and when the return 
of consciousness awoke her to the business of the day. As the 
girl arose from her knees, the bear dropped on its feet again, 
and collecting its cubs around her, permitted them to draw 
their natural sustenance. Hetty was delighted with this proof 
of tenderness in an animal that has but a very indifferent repu- 
tation for the gentler feelings ; and as a cub would quit its 
mother to frisk and leap about in wantonness, she felt a strong 
desire agciin to catch it up in her arms, and play with it. But 
admonished by the growl, she had self-command sufficient not 
to put this dangerous project in execution ; and recollecting 
her errand among the hills, she tore herself away from the 
group, and proceeded on her course, along the margin of the 
lake, of which she now caught glimpses again througli the trees. 
To her surprise, though not to her alarm, the family of bears 
arose and followed her steps, keeping a short distance behind 
her, apparently watching every movement, as if they had a 
near interest in all she did. •* 

In this manner, escorted by the dam and cubs, the girl pro- 
ceeded nearly a mile, thrice the distance she had been able to 
achieve in the darkness during the same period of time. She 
then reached a brook that had dug a channel for itself into the 
earth, and went brawling into the lake, between steep and 
high banks, covered with trees. Here Hetty performed her 
ablutions ; then drinking of the pure mountain water, she went 


N 


178 


THE EEERSLAYER 


her way, refreshed and lighter of heart, still attended by her 
singular companions. Her course now lay along a broad and 
nearly level terrace, which stretched from the top of the bank 
that bounded the water, to a low acclivity that rose to a second 
and irregular platform above. This was at a part of the valley 
where the mountains ran obliquely, forming the commencement 
of a plain that spread between the hills, southward of the sheet 
of water. Hetty knew, by this circumstance, that she was get- 
ting near the encampment, and had she not, the bears would 
have given her warning of the vicinity of human beings. Snuff- 
ing the air, the dam refused to follow any farther, though the 
girl looked back and invited her to come by childish signs, and 
even by direct appeals made in her own sweet voice. It was 
while making her w^ay slowly through some bushes, in this 
manner, with averted foce and eyes riveted on the immovable 
animals, that the girl suddenly found her steps arrested by a 
human hand, that was laid lightly on her shoulder. 

“ Where go h ” said a soft female voice, speaking hurriedly, 
and in concern. “ Indian — redman — savage — wicked war- 
rior — thataway.” 

Tliis unexpected salutation alarmed the girl no more than 
the presence of the fierce inhabitants of the woods. It took 
her a little by surprise, it is true, but she was in a measure 
prepared for some such meeting; and the creature who stopped 
lier was as little likely to excite terror as any who ever appeared 
in the guise of an Indian. It was a girl not much older than 
herself, whose smile was as sunny as Judith’s in her brightest 
moments, whose voice was melody itself, and whose accents and 
manner had all the rebuked gentleness that characterizes the 
sex among a people who habitually treat their women as 
the attendants and servitors of the warriors. Beauty among 
the women of the aboriginal Americans, before they have 
beconxe exposed to the hardships of wives and mothers, is by 
no means uncommon. In this particular, the original owners 


THE DEERSLAYER 


179 


of the country were not unlike their more civilized successors, 
nature appearing to have bestowed that delicacy of mien and 
outline that form so great a charm in the youthful female, but 
of which they are so early deprived ; and that too as much by 
the habits of domestic life as from any other cause. 

The girl who had so suddenly arrested the steps of Hetty, 
was dressed in a calico mantle, that effectually protected all 
the upper part of her person, while a short petticoat of blue 
cloth edged with gold lace, that fell no lower than her knees, 
leggings of the same, and moccasins of deer-skin, completed her 
attire. Her hair fell in long dark braids down her shoulders 
and back, and was parted above a low smooth forehead, in a 
way to soften the expression of eyes that were full of archness 
and natural feeling. Her face was oval, with delicate features ; 
the teeth were even and white, while the mouth expressed a 
melancholy tenderness, as if it wore this peculiar meaning in 
intuitive perception of the fate of a being who was doomed 
from birth to endure a woman’s sufferings, relieved by a woman’s 
affections. Her voice, as has been already intimated, was soft 
as the sighing of the night air, a characteristic of the females 
of her race, but which was so conspicuous in herself as to have 
])rocured for her the name of Wah-ta-Wah ; which rendered 
into English, means Hist-oh-Hist. 

In a word, this was the betrothed of Chingachgook ; who, 
having succeeded in lulling their suspicions, was permitted to 
wander around the encampment of her captors. This indul- 
gence was in accordance with the general policy of the redman, 
who well knew, moreover, that her trail could have been 
followed, in the event of flight. It will also be remembered 
that the Iroquois, or Hurons, as it would be better to call 
them, were entirely ignorant of the proximity of her lover ; a 
fact, indeed, that she did not know herself. 

It is not easy to say which manifested the most self-possession 
at this unexpected meeting ; the pale-face or the red girl. But 


180 


THE DEERSLAYER 


though a little surprised, Wah-ta-Wah was the most willing to 
speak, and far the readier in foreseeing consequences, as well as 
in devising means to avert them. Her father, during her child- 
liood, had been much employed as a warrior by the authorities 
of the colony; and dwelling for several years near the forts, 
she had caught a knowledge of the English tongue, which she 
spoke in the usual abbreviated manner of an Indian, but fluently, 
and without any of the ordinary reluctance of her people. 

“ Where go ? ” repeated Wah-ta-Wah, returning the smile of 
Hetty, in her own gentle, winning manner ; “ wicked warrior 
thataway — good warrior far off.” 

“ What ’s your name ? ” asked Hetty, with the simplicity of 
a child. 

“ Wah-ta-Wah. I no Mingo — good Delaware — Yengeese 
friend. Mingo cruel, and love scalp for blood — Delaware love 
him for honor. Come here, where no eyes,” 

Wah-ta-Wah now led her companion towards the lake, de- 
scending the bank so as to place its overhanging trees and bushes 
between them and any probable observers ; nor did she stop 
until they were both seated, side by side, on a fallen log, one 
end of which actually lay buried in the water. 

“ Why you come for ? ” the young Indian eagerly inquired ; 
“ ivhere you come from 1 ” 

Hetty told her tale in her own simple and truth-loving man- 
ner. She explained the situation of her father, and stated her 
desire to serve him, and, if possible, to procure his release. 

“ Why your father come to Mingo camp in night ? ” asked 
the Indian girl, with a directness which, if not borrowed from 
the other, partook largely of its sincerity. “ He know it war- 
time, and he no boy — he no want beard — no want to be told 
Iroquois carry tomahawk, and knife, and rifle. Why he come 
night time, seize me by hair, and try to scalp Delaware girl ? ” 

“ You ! ” said Hetty, almost sickening with horror ; “ did he 
seize you — did he try to scalp you ? ” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


181 


“ Why no ? Delaware scalp sell for much as Mingo scalp. 
Governor no tell difference. Wicked t’ing for pale-face to scalp. 
No his gifts, as the good Deerslayer alway tell me.” 

“ And do you know the Deerslayer ? ” said Hetty, coloring 
with delight and surprise, forgetting her regrets at the moment, 
in the influence of this new feeling. “ I know him too. He 
is now in the ark, with Judith, and a Delaware who is called 
the Big Serpent. A bold and handsome warrior is this Ser- 
pent, too ! ” 

Spite of the rich deep color that nature had bestowed on the 
Indian beauty, the tell-tale blood deepened on her cheeks, 
until the blush gave new animation and intelligence to her jet- 
black eyes. Raising a finger in an attitude of warning, she 
dropped her voice, already so soft and sweet, nearly to a whis- 
per, as she continued the discourse. 

“ Chingachgook ! ” returned the Delaware girl, sighing out 
the harsh name, in sounds so softly guttural as to cause it to 
reach the ear in melody. “His father, Uncas — great chief 
of the Mahicanni — next to old Tamenund ! More as warrior, 
not so much gray hair, and less at council-fire. You know 
Serpent h ” 

“ He joined us last evening, and was in the ark with me for 
two or three hours before I left it. I ’m afraid. Hist,” — Hetty 
could not pronounce the Indian name of her new friend, but 
having heard Deerslayer give her this familiar appellation, she 
used it without any of the ceremony of civilized life — . “ I ’m 
afraid. Hist, he has come after scalps as well as my poor father 
and Hurry Harry ! ” 

“Why he shouldn’t, ha? Chingachgook red warrior, very 
red — scalp make his honor — be sure he take him.” 

“Then,” said Hetty, earnestly, “he will be as wicked as any 
other. God will not pardon in a redman what he will not 
pardon in a white man.” 

“No true,” returned the Delaware girl, with a warmth that 


182 


THE DEERSLAYER 


nearly amounted to passion ; “no true, I tell you ! The Mani- 
tou smile and please when he see young warrior come back 
from the war-path, with two, ten, hundred scalp on a pole i 
Chingachgook father take scalp, grandfather take scalp — all 
old chief take scalp ; and Chingachgook take as many scalp as 
he can carry, himself! ” 

“ Then, Hist, his sleep of nights must be terrible to think 
of 1 No one can be cruel and hope to be forgiven.” 

“ No cruel — plenty forgiven,” returned Wah-ta-Wah, stamp- 
ing her little foot on the stony strand, and shaking her head 
in a way to show how completely feminine feeling, in one of 
its aspects, had got the better of feminine feeling in another. 
“ I tell you. Serpent brave ; he go home this time with four, 
yes, two scalp.” 

“And is that his errand here? Did he really come all this 
distance, across mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes, to 
torment his fellow-creatures, and do so wicked a thing?” 

This question at once appeased the growing ire of the half- 
offended Indian beauty. It completely got the better of the 
prejudices of education, and turned all her thoughts to a gentler 
and more feminine channel. At first, she looked around her 
suspiciously, as if distrusting eavesdroppers ; then she gazed 
wistfully into the face of her attentive companion ; after which 
this exhibition of girlish coquetry and womanly feeling tei-mi- 
nated by her covering her face with both her hands, and laugh- 
ing in a strain that might well be termed the melody of the 
woods. Dread of discovery, however, soon put a stop to this 
naive exhibition of feeling, and removing her hands, this crea- 
ture of impulses gazed again wistfully into the face of her 
companion, as if inquiring how far she might trust a stranger 
with her secret. Although Hetty had no claim to her sister’s 
extraordinary beauty, many thought her countenance the most 
winning of the two. It expressed all the undisguised sincerity 
of her character, and it was totally free from any of the un- 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


183 


pleasant physical accompaniments that so frequently attend 
mental imbecility. It is true that one accustomed to closer 
observation than common -might have detected the proofs of 
her feebleness of intellect in the language of her sometimes 
‘ vacant eyes ; but they were signs that attracted sympathy by 
: their total want of guile, rather than by any other feeling. 

: The etfect on Hist, to use the English and more familiar trans- 
1' lation of the name, was favorable ; and yielding to an impulse 
!> of tenderness she threw her arms around Hetty, and embraced 
i her with an outpouring emotion so natural that it was only 
I equalled by its warmth. 

J “Tow good,” whispered the young Indian; “you good, I 
, know; it’s so long since Wah-ta-Wah have a friend — a sister 

— anvbody to speak her heart to ! you Hist friend ; don’t I say 
trut’ ? ” 

“I never had a friend,” answered Hetty, returning the 
warm embrace with unfeigned earnestness ; “ I ’ve a sister, but 
no friend. Judith loves me, and I love Judith; but that’s 
natural, and as we are taught in the Bible ; but I should like 
• to have 2 ^ friend I I ’ll be your friend, with all my heart; for 
I like your voice, and your smile, and your way of thinking in 
everything except about the scalps — ” 

“No t’ink more of him — no say more of scalp,” interrupted 
' Hist, soothingly ; “you pale-face, I redskin; we bring up differ- 
rent fashion. Deerslayer and Chingachgook great friend, and no 
the same color ; Hist and — What your name, pretty pale-face ? ” 

“ I am called Hetty, though when they spell the name in the 
Bible, they always spell it Esther.” 

“What that make? — no good, no harm. No need to spell 
■ name at all. Moravian try to make Wah-ta-Wah spell, but no 
won’t let him. No good for Delaware girl to know too much 

— know more than warrior some time ; that great shame. My 
name Wah-ta-Wah — that say Hist in your tongue ; you call 
him, Hist — I call him, Hetty,” 


184 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


These preliminaries settled to tlieir mutual satisfaction, the 
two girls began to discourse of their several hopes and projects. 
Hetty made her new friend more fully acquainted with her 
intentions in behalf of her father; and, to one in the least 
addicted to prying into the affairs of others, Hist would have 
betrayed her own feelings and expectations in connection with 
the young warrior of her own tribe. Enough was revealed on 
both sides, however, to let each party get a tolerable insight 
into the views of the other, tliough enough still remained in 
mental reservation to give rise to the following questions and 
answers, with which the interview in effect closed. As the 
quickest-witted. Hist was the first with her interrogatories. 
Folding an arm about the waist of Hetty, she bent her head so 
as to look up playfully into the face of the other ; and, laugh- 
ing, as if her meaning were to be extracted from her looks, she 
spoke more plainly. 

“Hetty got broder, as well as fader?” she said; “why no 
talk of broder as well as fader 1 ” 

“ I have no brother. Hist. I had one once, they say, but he 
is dead many a year, and lies buried in the lake by the side of 
mother.” 

“No got broder — got a young warrior; love him almost as 
much as fader, eh ? Very handsome and brave-looking ; fit to be 
chief if he good as he seem to be.” 

“ It ’s wicked to love any man as well as I love my father, 
and so I strive not to do it. Hist,” returned the conscientious 
Hetty, who knew not how to conceal an emotion by an approach , 
to an untruth as venial as an evasion, though powerfully ! 
tempted by female shame to err ; “ though I sometimes think 
that wickedness will get the best of me, if Hurry comes so | 
often to the lake. I must tell you the truth, dear Hist, because 
you ask me ; but I should fall down and die in the woods, if he | 
knew it.” 

“Why he no ask you, himself? Brave-looking — why not I 


THE DEERSLAYER 


185 


bold-speaking ? Young warrior ought to ask young girl ; no 
make young girl speak first. Mingo girls too shame for that^ 

This was said indignantly, and with the generous warmth 
a young female of spirit would be apt to feel at what she 
deemed an invasion of her sex’s most valued privilege. It 
had little influence on the simple-minded, but also just-minded 
Hetty ; who, though inherently feminine in all her impulses, 
was much more alive to the workings of her own heart, than 
to any of the usages with which convention has protected the 
sensitiveness of her sex. 

“Ask me tohatV the startled girl demanded, with a sudden- 
ness that proved how completely her fears had been aroused. 
“Ask me if I like him as well as I do my own father? 0, I 
hope he will never put such a question to me, for I should have 
to answer, and that would kill me ! ” 

“No — no — no kill, quite almost,” returned the other laugh- 
ing in spite of herself. “ Make blush come — make shame 
come too ; but he no stay great while ; then feel happier than 
ever. Young warrior must tell young girl he want to make 
wife, else never can live in his wigwam.” 

“Hurry don’t want to marry me — nobody will ever want 
to marry me. Hist.” 

“ How you can know ? P’r’aps everybody want to marry 
you, and by-and-by tongue say what heart feel. Why nobody 
want to marry you ? ” 

“I am not full-witted, they say. Father often tells me 
this ; and so does Judith sometimes, when she is vexed ; but I 
shouldn’t so much mind them as I did mother. She said so 
once ; and then she cried as if her heart would break ; and so 
I know I ’m not full-witted.” 

Hist gazed at the gentle, simple girl for quite a minute, 
without speaking; when the truth appeared to flash all at 
once on the mind of the young Indian maid. Pity, reverence, 
eind tenderness seemed struggling together in her breast ; then. 


186 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


rising suddenly, she indicated a wish to her companion that she 
would accompany her to the camp, which was situated at no 
great distance. This unexpected change, from the precaution 
that Hist had previously manifested a desire to use in order 
to prevent being seen, to an open exposure of the person 
of her friend, arose from the perfect conviction that no Indian 
would harm a being whom the G-reat Spirit had disarmed, by 
depriving it of its strongest defence, reason. In this respect, 
nearly all unsophisticated nations resemble each other ; appear- 
ing to offer spontaneously, by a feeling creditable to human 
nature, that protection by their own forbearance which has 
been withheld by the inscrutable wisdom of Providence. Wah- 
ta-Wah, indeed, knew that in many tribes the mentally imbecile 
and the mad were held in a species of religious reverence, receiv- 
ing from the untutored inhabitants of the forest respect and 
honors, instead of the contumely and neglect that it is their 
fortune to meet with among the more pretending and sophis- 
ticated. 

Hetty accompanied her new friend without apprehension or 
reluctance. It was her wish to reach the camp ; and, sus- 
tained by her motives, she felt no more concern for the con- 
sequences than did her companion herself, now the latter was 
apprised of the character of the protection that the pale-face 
maiden carried with her. Still, as they proceeded slowly along 
a shore that was tangled with overhanging bushes, Hetty con- 
tinued the discourse, assuming the office of interrogating, which 
the other had instantly dropped as soon as she ascertained the 
character of the mind to which her questions had been addressed. 

“ But you are not half-witted,” said Hetty ; “and there ’s no 
reason why the Serpent should not marry yo^^.” 

“ Hist prisoner, and Mingo got big ear. No speak of Chin- 
gachgook when they by. Promise Hist that, good Hetty.” 

“I know — I know,” returned Hetty, half whispering in her 
eagerness to let the other see she understood the necessity of 


THE IJEERSLAYER 


187 


caution. “ I know — Deerslayer and the Serpent mean to get 
you away from the Iroquois ; and you wish me not to tell the 
secret.” 

“How you know?” said Hist, hastily, vexed at the moment 
that the other was not even more feeble-minded than was 
actually the case. “ How you know ? Better not talk of 
any but fader and Hurry; Mingo understand dat ; he no 
understand t’ udder. Promise you no talk about what you 
no understand.” 

“ But I do understand this, Hist ; and so I must talk about 
it. Deerslayer as good as told father all about it, in my presence ; 
and as nobody told me not to listen, I overheard it all, as I did 
Hurry and father’s discourse about the scalps.” 

“ Very bad for pale-face to talk about scalps, and very bad 
for young woman to hear ! Now you love Hist, I know, Hetty, 
and so, among lujins, when love hardest never talk most.” 

“ That ’s not the way among white people, who talk most 
about them they love best. I suppose it ’s because I ’m only 
half-witted that I don’t see the reason why it should be so 
different among red people.” 

“ That what Deerslayer call gift. One gift to talk, t’ udder 
gift to hold tongue. Hold tongue your gift, among Mingos. 
If Serpent want to see Hist, so Hetty want to see Hurry. 
Good girl never tell secret of friend.” 

Hetty understood this appeal ; and she promised the Dela- 
ware girl not to make any allusion to the presence of Chingach- 
gook, or to the motive of his visit to the lake. 

“ Maybe he get off Hurry and fader, as well as Hist, if let 
him have his way,” whispered Wah-ta-Wah to her companion, 
in a confiding, flattering way, just as they got near enough to 
the encampment to hear the voices of several of their own sex, 
who were apparently occupied in the usual toils of women of 
their class. “ T’ink of dat, Hetty, and put two, twenty finger 
on mouth. No get friends free without Serpent do it.” 


188 


THE DEERSLAYER 


A better expedient could not have been adopted to secure 
the silence and discretion of Hetty, than that which was now 
presented to her mind. As the liberation of her father and the 
young frontierinan was the great object of her adventure, she 
felt the connection between it and the services of the Delaware ; 
and with an innocent laugh, she nodded her head, and in the 
same suppressed manner promised a due attention to the wishes 
of her friend. Thus assured. Hist tarried no longer, but imme- 
diately and openly led the way into the encampment of her 
captors. 


CHAPTER XI 

“ The great King of kings 
Hath in the table of his law commanded, 

That thou shalt do no murder. 

Take heed, for he holds vengeance in his hand. 

To hurl upon your heads that break his law.” 

Shakespeare. 

That the party to which Hist compulsorily belonged was not 
one that was regularly on the war-path was evident by the pres- 
ence of females. It was a small fragment of a tribe that had 
been hunting and fishing within the English limits, where it was 
found by the commencement of hostilities, and, after passing the 
winter and spring by living on what was strictly the property 
of its enemies, it chose to strike a hostile blow before it finally 
retired. There was also deep Indian sagacity in the manoeuvre 
which had led them so far into the territory of their foes. 
When the runner arrived who announced the breaking out of 
hostilities between the English and French® — a struggle that 
was certain to carry with it all the tribes that dwelt within the 
influence of the respective belligerents — this particular party 
of the Iroquois was posted on the shores of the Oneida, a lake 


THE DEERSLAYER 


189 


that lies some fifty miles nearer to their own frontier than that 
which is the scene of our tale. To have fled in a direct line for 
the Canadas would have exposed them to the dangers of a 
direct pursuit ; and the chiefs had determined to adopt the ex- 
pedient of penetrating deeper into a region that had now become 
dangerous, in the hope of being able to retire in the rear of their 
pursuers, instead of having them on their trail. The presence 
of the women had induced the attempt at this ruse, the strength 
of these feebler members of the party being unequal to the 
effort of escaping from the pursuit of warriors. When the reader 
remembers the vast extent of the American wilderness at that 
eaily day, he will perceive that it was^possible for even a tribe 
to remain months undiscovered in particular portions of it ; nor 
was the danger of encountering a foe, the usual precautions 
being observed, as great in the woods as it is on the high seas 
in a time of active warfare. 

The encampment being temporary, it offered to the eye no 
more than the rude protection of a bivouac, relieved in some 
slight degree by the ingenious expedients which suggested 
themselves to the readiness of those who passed their lives amid 
similar scenes. One fire, that had been kindled against the 
roots of a living oak, sufficed for the whole party, the weather 
being too mild to require it for any purpose but cooking. 
Scattered round this centre of attraction were some fifteen or 
twenty low huts — perhaps kennels would be a better word — 
into which their different owners crept at night, and which were 
also intended to meet the exigencies of a storm. These little 
huts were made of the branches of trees, put together with 
some ingenuity, and they were uniformly topped with bark that 
had been stripped from fallen trees, 'of which every virgin forest 
I possesses hundreds, in all stages of decay. Of furniture, they 
had next, to none. Cooking utensils of the simplest sort were 
lying near the fire ; a few articles of clothing were to be seen in 
or around the huts j rifles, horns, and pouches leaned against 


190 


THE DEERSLAYER 


the trees, or were suspended from the lower branches ; and the 
carcasses of two or three deer were stretched to view on the 
same natural shambles. 

As the encampment was in the midst of a dense wood, the 
eye could not take in its tout ensemble at a glance ; but hut 
after hut started out of the gloomy picture, as one gazed about 
him in quest of objects. There was no centre, unless the fire 
might be so considered — no open area where the possessors of 
this rude village might congregate ; but all was dark, covert, 
and cunning, like its owners. A few children strayed from hut 
to hut, giving the spot a little the air of domestic life ; and the 
suppressed laugh and low voices of the women occasionally 
broke in upon the deep stillness of the sombre forest. As for 
the men, they either ate, slept, or examined their arms. They 
conversed but little, and then usually apart, or in groups with- 
drawn from the females; whilst an air of untiring, innate watch- 
fulness and apprehension of danger seemed to be blended even 
with their slumbers. 

As the two girls came near the encampment, Hetty uttered a 
slight exclamation on catching a view of the person of her father. 
He was seated on tlie ground, with his back to a tree, and 
Hurry stood near him, indolently whittling a twig. Apparently, 
they were as much at liberty as any others in or about the camp ; 
and one unaccustomed to Indian usages would have mistaken 
them for visitors, instead of supposing them to be captives. 
Wah-ta-Wah led her new friend quite near them, and then modestly 
withdrew, that her own presence might be no restraint on her feel- 
ings. But Hetty was not sufficiently familiar with caresses or 
outward demonstrations of fondness, to indulge in any outbreak- 
ing of feeling. She merely approached and stood at her father’s 
side without speaking, resembling a silent statue of filial affec- 
tion. The old man expressed neither alarm nor surprise at 
her sudden appearance. In these particulars he bad caught the 
stoicism of the Indians ; well knowing that there was no more 


THE DEERSLAYER 


191 


certain mode of securing their respect than by imitating their 
self-command. Nor did the savages themselves betray the 
least sign of surprise at this sudden appearance of a stranger 
among them. In a word, this arrival produced much less visible 
sensation, though occurring under circumstances so peculiar, than 
would be seen in a village of higher pretensions to civilization, 
did an ordinary traveller drive up to the door of its principal 
inn. Still, a few warriors collected, and it was evident, by the 
manner in which they glanced at Hetty as they conversed to- 
gether, that she was the subject of their discourse, and probable 
that the reasons of her unlooked-for appearance were matters 
of discussion. This phlegm of manner is characteristic of the 
North American Indian — some say of his white successor also ; 
but, in this case, much should be attributed to the peculiar 
situation in which the party was placed. The force in the ark, 
the presence of Chingachgook excepted, was well known, no 
tribe or body of troops was believed to be near, and vigilant 
eyes were posted round the entire lake, watching, day and night, 
the slightest movement of those whom it would not be exag- 
gerated now to term the besieged. 

Hutter was inwardly much moved by the conduct of Hetty, 
though he affected so much indifference of manner. He recol- 
lected her gentle appeal to him before he left the ark, and mis- 
fortune rendered that of weight which might have been forgotten 
amid the triumph of success. Then he knew the simple, single- 
hearted fidelity of his child, and understood why she had come, 
and the total disregard of self that reigned in all her acts. 

“This is not well, Hetty,” he said, deprecating the conse- 
quences to the girl herself more than any other evil. “ These are 
fierce Iroquois, and are as little apt to forget an injury as a favor.” 

“Tell me, father,” returned the girl, looking furtively about 
her, as if fearful of being overheard, “did God let you do the 
cruel errand on which you came ? I want much to know this, 
that I may speak to the Indians plainly if he did not.” 


192 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


“You should not have come hither, Hetty ; these brutes will 
not understand your nature or your intentions ! ” 

“ How was it, father ? neither you nor Hurry seems to have 
anything that looks like scalps.” 

“ If that will set your mind at peace, child, I can answer you, 
no. I had caught the young creatur’ who came here with you, 
but her screeches soon brought down upon me a troop of the 
wild-cats that was too much for any single Christian to withstand. 
If that will do you any good, we are as innocent of having taken 
a scalp this time as I make no doubt we shall also be innocent 
of receiving the bounty.” 

“ Thank you for that, father ! Now I can speak boldly to 
the Iroquois, and with an easy conscience. I hope Hurry, 
too, has not been able to harm any of the Indians ? ” 

“ Why, as to that matter, Hetty,” returned the individual in 
question, “ you Ve put it pretty much in the natyve character 
of the religious truth. Hurry has not been able, and that is 
the long and short of it. I ’ve seen many squalls, old fellow, 
both on land and on the water, but never did I feel one as 
lively and as snappish as ' that which come down upon us nigh t 
afore last, in the shape of an Indian hurrah-boys ! Why, Hetty, 
you ’re no great matter at a reason or an idee that lies a little 
deeper than common, but you ’re human and have some human 
notions; now I’ll just ask you to look at these circumstances. 
Here was old Tom, your father, and myself bent on a legal 
operation, as is to be seen in the words of the law and the proc- 
lamation, thinking no harm, when we were set upon by critters 
that were more like a pack of hungry wolves than mortal 
savages even, and there they had us tethered like two sheep in 
less time than it has taken me to tell you the story.” 

“You are free, now. Hurry,” returned Hetty, glancing timidly 
at the fine, unfettered limbs of the young giant. “You have no 
cords or withes to pain your arms or legs now.” 

“ Not I, Hetty. Natur’ is natur’, and freedom is natur’. 


THE DEERS LAYER 


193 


■ too. My limbs have a free look, but that ’s pretty much the 
amount of it, sin’ I can’t use them in the way I should like. 
Even these trees have eyes ; ay, and tongues, too ; for, was the 
old man here, or I, to start one single rod beyond our jail 
limits, sarvice would be put on the bail afore we could ‘gird 
up our loins ’ for a race ; and like as not, four or five rifle 
bullets would be travelling arter us, carrying so many invita- 
I tions to curb our impatience. There is n’t a jail in the colony 
I as tight as this we are now in ; for I ’ve tried the vartue of 
I two or three on ’em, and I Icnow the mater’als they are 
' made of, as well as the men that make ’em, takin’ down being 
j the next step in schoolin’ to puttin’ up, in all such fabrica- 
; tions.” 

I Lest the reader should get an exaggerated opinion of Hurry’s 
demerits from this boastful and indiscreet revelation, it may 
be well to say that his offences were confined to assaults and 
batteries, for several of which he had been imprisoned, when, 
as he has just said, he often escaped by demonstrating the 
flimsiness of the constructions in which he was confined, by 
opening for himself doors in spots where the architects had 
neglected to place them. But Hetty had no knowledge of jails, 
and little of the nature of crime, beyond w'hat her unadulterated 
and almost instinctive perceptions of right and wrong taught 
her, and this sally of the rude being who had spoken was lost 
upon her. She understood his general meaning, however, and 
answered in reference to that alone. 

“ It ’s so best, Hurry,” she said. “ It is best father and you 
should be quiet and peaceable till I have spoken to the Iro- 
quois, when all will be well and happy. I don’t wish either of 
you to follow, but leave me to myself. As soon as all is settled, 
and you are at liberty to go back to the castle, I will come and 
let you know it.” 

Hetty spoke with so much simple earnestness, seemed so 
confident of success, and wore so high an air of moral feeling 


o 


194 


THE BEERSLAYEH 


and truth, that both the listeners felt more disposed to attach ! 
an importance to her mediation than might otherwise have | 
happened. When she manifested an intention to quit them, 
therefore, they offered no obstacle, though they saw she was 
about to join the group of chiefs who were consulting apart, 
seemingly on the manner and motive of her own sudden 
appearance. 

When Hist — for so we love best to call her — quitted her 
companion, she strayed near one or two of the elder warriors, 
who had shown her most kindness in her captivity — the prin- 
cipal man of whom had even offered to adopt her as his child, 
if she would consent to become a Huron. In taking this direc- 
tion the shrewd girl did so to invite inquiry. She was too well 
trained in the habits of her people to obtrude the opinions of 
one of her sex and years on men and warriors ; but nature had 
furnished a tact and ingenuity that enabled her to attract the 
attention she desired, without wounding the pride of those 
whom it was her duty to defer to and respect. Even her 
affected indifference stimulated curiosity ; and Hetty had hardly 
reached the side of her father before the Delaware girl w^as 
brought within the circle of the warriors by a secret but 
significant gesture. Here she was questioned as to the presence 
of her companion, and the motives that had brought her to the 
camp. This was all that Hist desired. She explained the 
manner in which she had detected the weakness of Hetty’s 
reason, rather exaggerating than lessening the deficiency in her 
intellect ; and then she related in general terms the object of 
the girl in venturing among her enemies. The effect was all 
that the speaker expected ; her account investing the person 
and character of their visitor with a sacredness and respect that 
she well knew would prove her protection. As soon as her 
own purpose was attained. Hist withdrew to a distance, where, 
with female consideration and a sisterly tenderness, she set 
about the preparation of a meal, to be offered to her new friend 


THE DEERSLAYER 


195 


as soon as the latter might be at liberty to partake of it. While 
thus occupied, however, the ready girl in no degree relaxed in 
her watchfulness, noting every change of countenance among 
the chiefs, every movement of Hetty, and the smaller occur- 
rences that could be likely to affect her own interests or that of 
her new friend. 

As Hetty approached the chiefs, they opened their little 
circle with an ease and deference of manner that would have 
done credit to men of more courtly origin. A fallen tree lay 
near, and the oldest of the warriors made a quiet sign for the 
girl to be seated on it, taking his place at her side with the 
gentleness of a father. The others arranged themselves around 
the two with grave dignity ; and then the girl, who had suffi- 
cient observation to perceive that such a course was expected of 
her, began to reveal the object of her visit. The moment she 
opened her mouth to speak, however, the old chief gave a gentle 
sign for her to forbear, said a few words to one of his juniors, 
and then waited in silent patience until the latter had summoned 
Hist to the party. This interruption proceeded from the chief 
having discovered that there existed a necessity for an inter- 
preter ; few of the Hurons present understanding the English 
language, and they but imperfectly. 

Wah-ta-Wah was not sorry to be called upon to be present 
at the interview, and least of all in the character in which she 
was now wanted. She was aware of the hazards she ran in 
attempting to deceive one or two of the party ; but was none 
the less resolved to use every means that offered, and to prac- 
tise every artifice that an Indian education could supply, to 
conceal the facts of the vicinity of her betrothed, and of the 
errand on which he had come. One unpractised in the expe- 
dients and opinions of savage life would not have suspected the 
readiness of invention, the wariness of action, the high resolu- 
tion, the noble impulses, the deep self-devotion, and the feminine 
disregard of self, where the affections were concerned, that lay 


196 


THE DEERSLAYER 


concealed beneath the demure looks, the mild eyes, and the 
sunny smiles of this young Indian beauty. As she approached 
them, the grim old warriors regarded her with pleasure, for 
they had a secret pride in the hope of engrafting so rare a scion 
on the stock of their own nation ; adoption being as regularly 
practised, and as distinctly recognized among the tribes of 
America, as it ever had been among those nations that submit 
to the sway of the civil law. 

As soon as Hist was seated by the side of Hetty, the old 
chief desired her to ask “ the fair young pale-face ” what had 
brought her among the Iroquois, and what they could do to 
serve her. 

“Tell them, Hist, who I am — Thomas Hutter’s youngest 
daughter ; Thomas Hutter, the oldest of their two prisoners ; 
he who owns the castle and the ark, and who has the best right 
to be thought the owner of these hills, and that lake, since he 
has dwelt so long, and trapped so long, and fished so long 
among Them. They ’ll know whom you mean by Thomas 
Hutter, if you tell them that. And then tell them that I ’ve 
come here to convince them they ought not to harm father and 
Hurry, but let them go in peace, and to treat them as brothers, 
rather than as enemies. Now tell them all this plainly. Hist, 
and fear nothing for yourself or me ; God will protect us.” 

Wah-ta-Wah did as the other desired, taking care to render 
the words of her friend as literally as possible into the Iroquois 
tongue, a language she used with a readiness almost equal to 
that with which she spoke her own. The chiefs heard this 
opening explanation with grave decorum, the two who had a 
little knowledge of English intimating their satisfaction with 
the interpreter by furtive but significant glances of the eyes. 

“And now. Hist,” continued Hetty, as soon as it was inti- 
mated to her that she might proceed; “and now. Hist, I wish 
you to tell these redmen, word for word, what I am about to 
say. Tell them first, that father and Hurry came here with 


THE DEERSLAYER 


197 


an intention to take as many scalps as they could ; for the 
wicked governor and the province have offered money for scalps ; 
whether of warriors or women, men or children ; and the love 
of gold was too strong for their hearts to withstand it. Tell 
them this, dear Hist, just as you have heard it from me, word 
for word.” 

Wah-ta-Wah hesitated about rendering this speech as literally 
as had been desired; but detecting the intelligence of those 
who understood English, and apprehending even a greater 
knowledge than they actually possessed, she found herself com- 
pelled to comply. Contrary to what a civilized man would 
have expected, the admission of the motives and of the errands 
of their prisoners produced no visible effect on either the coun- 
tenances or the feelings of the listeners. They probably con- 
sidered the act meritorious, and that which neither of them 
would have hesitated to perform in his own person, he would 
not be apt to censure in another. 

“ And now. Hist,” resumed Hetty, as soon as she perceived 
that her first speeches were understood by the chiefs ; you 
can tell them more. They know that father and Hurry did 
not succeed ; and therefore they can bear them no grudge for 
any harm that has been done. If they had slain their children 
and wives, it would not alter the matter ; and I ’m not certain 
that what I am about to tell them would not have more weight 
had there been mischief done. But ask them first. Hist, if 
they know there is a God who reigns over the whole earth and 
is ruler and chief of all who live, let them be red or white, or 
what color they may.” 

Wah-ta-Wah looked a little surprised at this question ; for 
the idea of the Great Spirit is seldom long absent from the 
mind of an Indian girl. She put the question as literally as 
possible, however, and received a grave answer in the affirma- 
tive. 

“This is right,” continued Hetty, “and my duty will now 


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be light. This Great Spirit, as you call our God, has caused 
a book to be written, that we call a Bible ; and in this book 
have been set down all his commandments, and his holy will 
and pleasure, and the rules by which all men are to live, and 
directions how to govern the thoughts even, and the wishes, 
and the will. Here, this is one of these holy books, and you 
must tell the chiefs what I am about to read to them from its 
sacred pages.” 

As Hetty concluded, she reverently unrolled a small English 
Bible from its envelope of coarse calico ; treating the volume 
with the sort of external respect that a Romanist would be apt 
to show to a religious relic. As she slowly proceeded in her 
task, the grim warriors watched each movement with riveted 
eyes ; and when they saw the little volume appear, a slight 
expression of surprise escaped one or two of them. But Hetty 
held it out towards them in triumph, as if she expected the 
sight would produce a visible miracle ; and then, without be- 
traying either surprise or mortification at the stoicism of the 
Indians, she turned eagerly to her new friend, in order to renew 
the discourse. 

“This is the sacred volume. Hist,” she said, “and these 
words, and lines, and verses, and chapters, all came from 
God.” 

“ Why Great Spirit no send book to Injin, too ? ” demanded 
Hist, with the directness of a mind that was totally unsophisti- 
cated. 

“ Why ? ” demanded Hetty, a little bewildered by a question 
so unexpected. “Why? Ah! You know the Indians don’t 
know how to read.” 

If Hist was not satisfied with the explanation, she did not 
deem the point of sufficient importance to be pressed. Simply 
bending her body, in gentle admission of the truth of what she 
heard, she sat patiently awaiting the further arguments of the 
pale-face enthusiast. 


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199 


“You can tell these chiefs, that throughout this book, men are 
ordered to forgive their enemies ; to treat them as they would 
brethren ; and never to injure their fellow-creatures, more espe- 
cially on account of revenge, or any evil passion. Do you think 
you can telL them this, so that they will understand it. Hist ? ” 

“ Tell him well enough ; but he no very easy to understand.” 

Hist then conveyed the ideas of Hetty in the best manner 
she could to the attentive Indians ; who heard her words with 
some such surprise as an American of our own times would be 
apt to betray at a suggestion that the great modern, but vacil- 
lating ruler of things human, public opinion, might be wrong. 
•One or two of their number, however, having met with mis- 
sionaries, said a few words in explanation, and then the group 
gave all its attention to the communications that were to follow. 
Before Hetty resumed, she inquired earnestly of Hist if tlie 
chiefs had understood her, and receiving an evasive answer, was 
fain to be satisfied. 

“I will now read to the warriors some of the verses that it 
is good for them to know,” continued the girl, whose manner 
grew more solemn and earnest as she proceeded; “and they 
will remember that they are the words of the Great Spirit 
First, then, ye are commanded to ‘ Love thy neighbor as thy- 
self.^ Tell them that^ dear Hist.” 

“Neighbor for Injin no mean pale-face,” answered the Dela- 
ware girl, with more decision than she had hitherto thought it 
necessary to use. “ Neighbor mean Iroquois for Iroquois, Mo- 
hican for Mohican, pale-face for pale-face. No need tell chief 
anything else.” 

“ You forget. Hist, these are the words of the Great Spirit, 
and the chiefs must obey them as well as others. Here is an- 
other commandment ; ‘ Whosoever shall smite thee on the right 
cheek, turn to him the other alsoW^ 

“ What that mean ? ” d*emanded Hist, with the quickness of 
lightning. 


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Hetty explained that it was an order not to resent injuries, 
but rather to submit to receive fresh wrongs from the offender. 

“And hear this too, Hist,” she added, “ ^ Love your enemies^ 
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and 
'pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.^ ” 

By this time Hetty had become excited. Her eye gleamed 
with the earnestness of her feelings, her cheeks flushed, and her 
voice, usually so low and modulated, became stronger and more 
impressive. With the Bible she had been early made familiar 
by her mother ; and she now turned from passage to passage 
with surprising rapidity, taking care to cull such verses as. 
taught the sublime lessons of Christian charity and Christian* 
forgiveness. To translate half she said, in her pious earnest- 
ness, Wah-ta-Wah would have found it impracticable, had she 
made the effort ; but wonder held her tongue-tied, equally with 
the chiefs ; and the young, simple-minded enthusiast had fairly 
become exhausted with her own efforts, before the other opened 
her mouth again to utter a syllable. Then, indeed, the Dela- 
ware girl gave a brief translation of the substance of what had 
been both read and said, confining herself to one or two of the 
more striking of the verses, those that had struck her own im- 
agination as the most paradoxical, and which certainly would 
have been the most applicable to the case, could the unin- 
structed minds of the listeners embrace the great moral truths 
they conveyed. 

It will be scarcely necessary to tell the reader the effect that 
such novel duties would be likely to produce among a group of 
Indian warriors, with whom it was a species of religious princi- 
ple never to forget a benefit or to forgive an injury. Fortu- 
nately, the previous explanations of Hist had prepared the 
minds of the Hurons for something extravagant ; and most of 
that which to them seemed inconsistent and paradoxical was 
accounted for by the fact, that the speaker possessed a mind 
that was constituted differently from those of most of the 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


201 


human race. Still there were one or two old men who had 
heard similar doctrines from the missionaries, and they felt a 
desire to occupy an idle moment by pursuing a subject that 
they found so curious. 

“ This is the Good Book of the pale-faces,” observed one of 
these chiefs, taking the volume from the unresisting hand of 
Hetty, who gazed anxiously at his face, while he turned the 
leaves, as if she expected to witness some visible results from 
the circumstance. “ This is the law by which my white breth- 
ren profess to live? ” 

Hist, to whom this question was addressed, if it might be 
considered as addressed to any one in particular, answered 
simply in the affirmative; adding that both the French of the 
Canadas and the Yengeese of the British provinces equally ad- 
mitted its authority, and affected to revere its principles. 

“ Tell my young sister,” said the Huron, looking directly at 
Hist, “ that I will open my mouth and say a few words.” 

“ The Iroquois chief go to speak — my pale-face friend listen,” 
said Hist. 

“ I rejoice to hear it ! ” exclaimed Hetty. “ God has touched 
his heart, and he will let father and Hurry go ! ” 

“This is the pale-face law,” resumed the chief. “It tells 
him to do good to them that hurt him ; when his brother asks 
him for his rifle, to give him the powder-horn too. Such is 
the pale-face law ? ” 

“Not so — not so,” answered Hetty, earnestly, when these 
words had been interpreted. “ There is not a word about rifles 
in the whole book ; and powder and bullets give offence to the 
Great Spirit.” 

“ Why, then, does the pale-face use them ? If he is ordered 
to give double to him that asks only for one thing, why does 
he take double from the poor Indians, who ask for no thing 1 
He comes from beyond the rising sun, with his book in his 
hand, and he teaches the redman to read it ; but why does he 


202 


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forget himself all it says 1 When the Indian gives, he is never 
satisfied ; and now he offers gold for the scalps of our women 
and children, though he calls us beasts if we take the scalp of 
a warrior killed in open war. My name is Rivenoak.” 

AVhen Hetty had got this formidable question fairly pre- 
sented to her mind in the translation, and Hist did her duty 
with more than usual readiness on this occasion, it scarcely 
need be said that she was sorely perplexed. Abler heads than 
that of this poor girl have frequently been puzzled by questions 
of a similar drift ; and it is not surprising, that with all her own 
earnestness and sincerity she did not know what answer to make. 

“What shall I tell them. Hist?” she asked, imploringly; 
“ I knotv that all I have read from the book is true ; and yet 
it would n’t seem so, would it, by the conduct of those to whom 
the book was given ? ” 

“ Give ’em pale-face reason,” returned Hist, ironically ; “ that 
always good for one side ; though he bad for t’ other.” 

“No, no. Hist, there can’t be two sides to truth — and yet 
it does seem strange ! I ’m certain I have read the verses right, 
and no one would be so wicked as to print the word of God 
wrong. That can never be. Hist.” 

“ Well, to poor Injin girl it seem everything can be to pale- 
faces,” returned the other, coolly. “ One time ’ey say white, 
and one time ’ey say black. Why, never can he ? ” 

Hetty was more and more embarrassed, until, overcome with 
the apprehension that she had failed in her object, and that 
the lives of her father and Hurry would be the forfeit of some 
blunder of her own, she burst into tears. From that moment 
the manner of Hist lost all its irony and cool indifference, and 
she became the fond caressing friend again. Throwing her 
arms around the afflicted girl, she attempted to soothe her sor- 
rows by the scarcely ever failing remedy of female sympathy. 

“Stop cry — no cry,” she said, wiping the tears from the 
face of Hetty, as she would have performed, the same office for 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


203 


a child, and stopping to press her, occasionally, to her own 
warm bosom with the affection of a sister ; “ why you so 
trouble ? You no make he book, if he be wrong, and you no 
make he pale-face, if he be wicked. There wicked redman, and 
wicked white man — no color all good — no color all wicked. 
Chiefs know that well enough.” 

Hetty soon recovered from this sudden burst of grief, and 
then her mind reverted to the purpose of her visit, with its 
single-hearted earnestness. Perceiving that the grim-lookirig 
chiefs were still standing around her, in grave attention, she 
hoped that another effort to convince them of the right might 
be successful. 

“Listen, Hist,” she said, struggling to suppress her sobs, 
and to speak distinctly ; “ tell the chiefs that it matters not 
what the wicked do — right is right — the words of the Great 
Spirit are the words of the Great Spirit — and no one can go 
harmless for doing an evil act, because another has done it 
before him! ^Render good for evil,’’ says this book; and 
that is the law for the redman as well as for the w’hite man.” 

“ Never hear such law among Delaware, or among Iroquois,” 
answered Hist, soothingly. “No good to tell chiefs any such 
law as dat. Tell ’em somet’ing they believe.” 

Hist was about to proceed, notwithstanding, when a tap on the 
shoulder, from the finger of the oldest chief, caused her to look 
up. She then perceived that one of the warriors had left the 
group, and w^as already returning to it with Hutter and Hurry. 
Understanding that the twm last were to become parties in the 
inquiry, she became mute, with the unhesitating obedience of 
an Indian woman. In a few seconds the prisoners stood face 
to face with the principal men of the captors. 

“Daughter,” said the senior chief to the young Delaware, 
“ask this graybeard why he came into our camp?” 

The question was put by Hist, in her own imperfect English, 
but in a way that was easy to be understood. Plutter was too 


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stern and obdurate, by nature, to shrink from the consequences 
of any of his acts, and he was also too familiar with the opin- 
ions of the savages not to understand that nothing was to be 
gained by equivocation, or an unmanly dread of their anger. 
Without hesitating, therefore, he avowed the purpose with 
which he had landed, merely justifying it by the fact that 
the government of the province had bid high for scalps. 
This frank avowal was received by the Iroquois with evident 
satisfaction, not so much, however, on account of the advan- 
tage it gave them in a moral point of view, as by prov- 
ing that they had captured a man worthy of occupying their 
thoughts, and of becoming a subject of their revenge. Hurry, 
when interrogated, confessed the truth, though he would have 
been more disposed to concealment than his sterner companion, 
did the circumstances very well admit of its adoption. But he 
had tact enough to discover that equivocation would be useless 
at that moment, and he made a merit of necessity by imitating 
a frankness, which, in the case of Hutter, was the offspring of 
habits of indifference, acting on a disposition that was always 
ruthless and reckless of personal consequences. 

As soon as the chiefs had received the answers to their ques- 
tions they walked away in silence, like men who deemed the 
matter disposed of, all Hetty’s dogmas being thrown away on 
beings trained in violence from infancy to manhood. Hetty and 
Hist were now left alone with Hutter and Hurry, no visible 
restraint being placed on the movements of either ; though all 
four, in fact, were vigilantly and unceasingly watched. As 
respects the men, care was had to prevent them from getting 
possession of any of the rifles that lay scattered about, their 
own included ; and there all open manifestations of watchful- 
ness ceased. But they, who were so experienced in Indian 
practices, knew too well how great was the distance between 
appearances and reality, to become the dupes of this seeming 
carelessness. Although both thought incessantly on the means 


THE DEERSLAYER 


205 


of escape, and this without concert, each was aware of the 
uselessness of attempting any project of the sort that was not 
deeply laid and promptly executed. They had been long enough 
in the encampment, and were sufficiently observant to have 
ascertained that Hist, also, was a sort of captive ; and, pre- 
suming on the circumstance, Hutter spoke in her presence more 
openly than he might otherwise have thought it prudent to do, 
inducing Hurry to be equally unguarded by his example. 

“ I ’ll not blame you, Hetty, for coming on this errand, which 
was well meant, if not very wisely planned,” commenced the 
father, seating himself by the side of his daughter, and taking 
her hand, a sign of affection that this rude being was accus- 
tomed to manifest to this particular child ; “ but preaching and 
the Bible are not the means to turn an Indian from his ways. 
Has Deerslayer sent any message; or has he any scheme by 
which he thinks to get us freeT’ 

“Ay, that’s the substance of it!” put in Hurry; “if you 
can help us, gal, to half a mile of freedom, or even a good start 
of a short quarter, I ’ll answer for the rest. Perhaps the old 
man may want a little more, but for one of my height and 
years that will meet all objections.” 

Hetty looked distressed, turning her eyes from one to the 
other; but she had no answer to give to the question of the 
reckless Hurry. 

“Father,” she said, “neither Deerslayer nor Judith knew of 
my coming, until I had left the ark. They are afraid the Iro- 
quois will make a raft, and try to get off to the hut, and think 
more of defending that, than of coming to aid you.” 

“ No — no — no,” said Hist, hurriedly, fhough in a low voice, 
and with her face bent towards the earth, in order to conceal 
from those whom she knew to be watching them the fact of her 
speaking at all. “No, no, no, Deerslayer different man. He 
no t’ink of defending ’self, with friend in danger. Help one 
another, and all get to hut.” 


206 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ This sounds well, old Tom,” said Hurry, winking and laugh- 
ing, though he too used the precaution to speak low. “ Give 
me a ready-witted squaw for a fri’nd, and though I ’ll not down- 
right defy an Iroquois, I think I would defy the devil.” 

“No talk loud,” said Hist; “some Iroquois got Yengeese 
tongue, and all got Yengeese ear.” 

“ Have we a friend in you, young woman h ” inquired Hutter, 
with an increasing interest in the conference. “ If so, you may 
calculate on a solid reward ; and nothing will be easier than to 
send you to your own tribe, if we can once fairly get you off 
with us to the castle. Give us the ark and the canoes, and we 
can command the lake, spite of all the savages in the Canadas. 
Nothing but artillery could drive us out of the castle, if we can 
get back to it.” 

“ S’pose ’ey come ashore to take scalp ? ” retorted Hist, with 
cool irony, at which the girl appeared to be more expert than 
is common for her sex. 

“ Ay, ay — that was a mistake ; but there is little use in 
lamentations, and less still, young woman, in flings.” 

“Father,” said Hetty, “Judith thinks of breaking open the 
big chest, in hopes of finding something in that which may buy 
your freedom of the savages.” 

A dark look came over Hutter, at the announcement of this 
fact, and he muttered his dissatisfaction in a way to render it 
intelligible enough. 

“What for no break open chest?” put in Hist. “Life 
sweeter than old chest — scalp sweeter than old chest. If no tell 
darter to break him open, Wah-ta-Wah no help him to run away.” 

“Ye know not what ye ask — ye are but silly girls, and the 
wisest way for ye both is to speak of what ye understand, and 
to speak of nothing else. I little like this cold neglect of the 
savages. Hurry ; it ’s a proof that they think of something seri- 
ous, and if we are to do anything, we must do it soon. Can we 
count on this young woman, think you ? ” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


207 


“Listen,” said Hist, quickly, and with an earnestness that 
proved how much her feelings were concerned ; “ Wah-ta-Wah 
no Iroquois — all over Delaware — got Delaware heart — Dela- 
ware feeling. She prisoner, too. One prisoner help t’udder 
prisoner. No good to talk more now. Darter stay with fader 
— Wah-ta-Wah come and see friend — all look right — then 
tell what he do.” 

This was said in a low voice, but distinctly, and in a manner 
to make an impression. As soon as it was uttered, the girl 
arose and left the group, walking composedly towards the hut 
she occupied, as if she had no further interest in what might 
pass between the pale-faces. 


CHAPTER XII 

“ She speaks much of her father ; says she hears 
There ’s tricks i’ the world; and hems, and heats her heart; 
Spurns enviously at straws : speaks things in doubt, 

That carry but half sense : her speech is nothing, 

Yet the unsuspected use of it doth move 
The hearers to collection.” 

Shakespeare. 

We left the occupants of the castle and the ark buried in 
sleep. Once or twice, in the course of the night, it is true, 
Deerslayer or the Delaware arose and looked out upon the tran- 
quil lake, when, finding all safe, each returned to his pallet, 
and slept like a man who was not easily deprived of his natural 
rest. At the first signs of the dawn, the former arose, how- 
ever, and made his personal arrangements for the day ; though 
his companion, whose nights had not been tranquil or without 
disturbance of late, continued on his blanket until the sun had 
fairly risen. Judith, too, was later than common that morning, 


208 


THE DEERSLAYER 


for the earlier hours of the night had brought her little of either 
refreshment or sleep. But ere the sun had shown himself over 
the eastern hills, these too were up and afoot ; even the tardy, 
in that region, seldom remaining on their pallets after the 
appearance of the great luminary. 

Chingachgook was in the act of arranging his forest toilet, 
when Deerslayer entered the cabin of the ark, and threw him 
a few coarse, but light summer vestments, that belonged to 
Hutter. 

“Judith hath given me them for your use, chief,” said the 
latter, as he cast the jacket and trowsers at the feet of the 
Indian ; “ for it ’s ag’in all prudence and caution to be seen in 
your war-dress and paint. Wash off all them fiery streaks from j 
your cheeks, put on these garments, and here is a hat, such as I 
it is, that will give you an awful oncivilized sort of civilization, 
as the missionaries call it. Eemember that Hist is at hand, 
and what we do for the maiden must be done while we are 
doing for others. I know it ’s ag’in your gifts and your natur’ 
to wear clothes, unless they are cut and carried in a redman’s 
fashion, but make a vartue of necessity, and put these on at 
once, even if they do rise a little in your throat.” 

Chingachgook, or the Serpent, eyed the vestments with strong 
disgust ; but he saw the usefulness of the disguise, if not its 
absolute necessity. Should the Iroquois discover a red man in 
or about the castle, it might, indeed, place them more on their 
guard, and give their suspicions a direction towards their 
female captive. Anything was better than a failure, as it 
regarded his betrothed, and, after turning the different gar- 
ments round and round, examining them with a species of 
grave irony, affecting to draw them on in a way that defeated 
itself, and otherwise manifesting the reluctance of a young 
savage to confine his limbs in the usual appliances of civilized 
life, the chief submitted to the directions of his companion, and 
finally stood forth, so far as the eye could detect, a .redman iu 


THE EEERSLAYER 


209 


color alone. Little was to be apprehended from this last pecu- 
liarity, however, the distance from the shore, and the want of 
glasses, preventing any very close scrutiny, and Deerslayer him- 
self, though of a brighter and fresher tint, had a countenance 
that was burned by the sun to a hue scarcely less red than that 
of his Mohican companion. The awkwardness of the Delaware, 
in his new attire, caused his friend to smile more than once that 
day, but he carefully abstained from the use of any of those jokes 
which would have been bandied among white men on such an 
occasion ; the habits of a chief, the dignity of a warrior on his 
first path, and the gravity of the circumstances in which they 
were placed, uniting to render so much levity out of season. 

The meeting at the morning meal of the three islanders, if 
we may use the term, was silent, grave, and thoughtful. Judith 
showed by her looks that she had passed an unquiet night, 
while the two men had the future before them, with its unseen 
and unknown events. A few words of courtesy passed between 
Deerslayer and the girl in the course of the breakfast, but no 
allusion was made to their situation. At length, Judith, whose 
heart was full, and whose novel feelings disposed her to entertain 
sentiments more gentle and tender than common, introduced the 
subject, and this in a way to show how much of her thoughts 
it had occupied in the course of the last sleepless night. 

“It would be dreadful, Deerslayer,” the girl abruptly ex- 
claimed, “ should anything serious befall my father and Hetty ! 
We cannot remain quietly here and leave them in the hands of 
the Iroquois, without bethinking us of some means of serving 
them.” 

“I’m ready, Judith, to sarve them, and all others who are in 
trouble, could the way to do it be pointed out. It ’s no trifling 
matter to fall into redskin hands, when men set out on an 
arr’nd like that which took Hutter and Hurry ashore ; that 
I know as well as another ; and I would n’t wish my worst 
inimy in such a strait, much less them with whom I ’ve jour- 


p 


210 


THE DEERSLAYER 


neyed, and eat, and slept. Have you any scheme that you 
would like to have the Sarpent and me indivor to carry 
out?” 

“ I know of no other means to release the prisoners, than by 
bribing the Iroquois. They are not proof against presents ; and 
we might offer enough, perhaps, to make them think it better 
to carry away what to them will be rich gifts than to carry away 
poor prisoners ; if, indeed, they should carry them away at all ! ” 

“This is well enough, Judith; yes, it’s well enough, if the 
inimy is to be bought, and we can find articles to make the 
purchase with. Your father has a convenient lodge, and it is 
most cunningly placed ; though it does n’t seem overstocked 
with riches that will be likely to buy his ransom. There’s 
the piece he calls Killdeer might count for something, and I 
understand there ’s a keg of powder about, which might be a 
make-weight, sartain ; and yet two able-bodied men are not to 
be bought off for a trifle — besides — ” 

“Besides what?” demanded Judith, impatiently, observing 
that the other hesitated to proceed, probably from a reluctance 
to distress her. 

“ Why, Judith, the Frenchers offer bounties® as well as our 
own side ; and the price of two scalps would purchase a keg 
of powder and a rifle ; though I ’ll not say one of the latter 
altogether as good as Killdeer there, which your father va’nts 
as uncommon, and onequalled, like. But fair powder, and a 
pretty sartain rifle ; then the redmeii are not the expartest in 
fire-arms, and don’t always know the difference atwixt that 
which is ra’al and that which is seeming.” 

“ This is horrible ! ” muttered the girl, struck by the homely 
manner in which her companion was accustomed to state his 
facts. “ But you overlook my own clothes, Deerslayer ; and 
they, I think, might go far with the women of the Iroquois.” 

“No doubt they would ; no doubt they would, Judith,” 
returned the other, looking at her keenly, as if he would 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


211 


ascertain whether she were really capable of making such a 
sacrifice. “But are you sartain, gal, you could find it in 
your heart to part with your own finery for such a purpose ? 
Many is the man who has thought he was valiant till danger 
stared him in the face ; I Ve known them too that consaited 
they were kind and ready to give away all they had to the 
poor, when they’ve been listening to other people’s hard- 
heartedness, but whose fists have clenched as tight as the 
riven hickory, when it came to downright offerings of their 
own. Besides, Judith, you’re handsome — oncommon in that 
way, one might obsarve, and do no harm to the truth ; and 
they that have beauty like to have that which will adorn it. 
Are you sartain you could find it in your heart to part with 
your own finery ? ” 

The soothing allusion to the personal charms of the girl was 
well-timed, to counteract the effect produced by the distrust 
that the young man expressed of Judith’s devotion to her filial 
duties. Had another said as much as Deerslayer, the compli- 
ment would most probably have been overlooked, in the indig- 
nation awakened by the doubts ; but even the unpolished 
sincerity, that so often made this simple-minded hunter bare 
his thoughts, had a charm for the girl ; and, while she colored, 
and for an instant her eyes flashed fire, slie could not find it in her 
heart to be really angry with one whose very soul seemed truth 
and manly kindness. Look her reproaches she did ; but con- 
quering the desire to retort, she succeeded in answering in a 
mild and friendly manner. 

“You must keep all your favorable opinions for the Dela- 
ware girls, Deerslayer, if you seriously think thus of those 
of your own color,” she said, affecting to laugh. “ But, try 
me; if you find that I regret either ribbon or feather, silk 
or muslin, then you may think what you please of my heart, 
and say what you think.” 

“ That ’s justice ! The rarest thing to find on ’arth is a 


212 


THE DEERSLAYER 


truly just man. So says Tamenund, the wisest prophet of 
the Delawares ; and so all must think that have occasion to 
see, and talk, and act among mankind. I love a just man, — ■ 
Sarpent ; his eyes are never covered with darkness towards 
his inimies, while they are all sunshine and brightness 
towards his fri’nds. He uses the reason that God has given 
him, and he uses it with a feeliii’ of his being ordered to 
look at, and to consider things as they are, and not as he 
wants them to be. It ’s easy enough to find men who call 
themselves just ; but it ’s wonderfully oncommon to find them 
that are the very thing, in fact. How often ha^^e I seen 
Indians, gal, who believed they were lookin’ into a matter 
agreeable to the will of the Great Spirit, when, in truth, they 
were only striving to act up to their own will and pleasure, 
and this, half of the time, with a temptation to go wrong, 
that could no more be seen by themselves, than the stream that 
runs in the next valley can be seen by us through yonder moun- 
tain ; though any looker-on might have discovered it as plainly 
as we can discover the parch that are swimming around this 
hut.” 

“Very true, Deerslayer,” rejoined Judith, losing every 
trace of displeasure in a bright smile ; “ very true ; and I 
hope to see you act on this love of justice, in all matters in 
which I am concerned. Above all, I hope you will judge 
for yourself, and not believe every evil story that a prating 
idler, like Hurry Harry, may have to tell, that goes to touch 
the good name of any young woman who may not happen to 
have the same opinions of his face and person that the bluster- 
ing gallant has of himself.” 

“Hurry Harry’s idees do not pass for gospel with me, 
Judith; but even worse than he may have eyes and ears,” 
returned the other gravely. 

“ Enough of this ! ” exclaimed Judith, with flashing eye, 
and a flush that mounted to her temples ; “ and more of my 


THE DEERSLAYER 


213 


father and his ransom. ’Tis as you say, Deerslayer; the 
Indians will not be likely to give up their prisoners without a 
heavier bribe than my clothes can offer, and father’s rifle and 
powder. There is the chest.” 

“Ay, there is the chist, as you say, Judith ; and when the 
question gets to be between a secret and a scalp, I should think 
most men would prefar keeping the last.. Did your father 
ever give you any downright command consarning that chist ? ” 

“Kever. He has always appeared to think its locks, and 
its steel bands, and its strength, its best protection.” 

“ ’T is a rare chist, and altogether of curious build,” 
returned Deerslayer, rising and approaching the thing in 
question, on which he seated himself, with a view to examine 
it with greater ease. “ Chingachgook, this is no wood that 
comes of any forest that you or I have ever trailed through ! 
’T is n’t the black walnut ; and yet it ’s quite as comely, if not 
more so, did the smoke and the treatment give it fair play.” 

The Delaware drew near, felt of the wood, examined its 
grain, endeavored to indent the surface with a nail, and 
passed his hand curiously over the steel bands, the heavy pad- 
locks, and the other novel peculiarities of the massive box. 

“No — nothing like this grows in these regions,” resumed 
Deerslayer; “I’ve seen all the oaks, both the maples, the 
elms, the bass-wood, all the walnuts, the butternuts, and 
every tree that has a substance and color, wrought into some 
form or other ; but never have I before seen such a wood as 
this ! Judith, the chist itself would buy your father’s free- 
dom, or Iroquois cur’osity is n’t as strong as redskin cur’osity, 
in general ; especially in the matter of woods.” 

“ The purchase might be cheaper made, perhaps, Deer- 
slayer. The chest is full, and it would be better to part with 
half than to part with the whole. Besides, father — I know 
not why — but father values that chest highly.” 

“ He would seem to prize what it holds more than the chist 


214 


THE DEERSLAYER 


itself, judging by the manner in which he treats the outside 
and secures the inside. Here are three locks, Judith ; is there 
no key ? ” 

“ I Ve never seen one ; and yet key there must be, since 
Hetty told us she had often seen the chest opened.” 

“ Keys no more lie in the air, or float on the water, than 
humans, gal ; if there is a key, there must be a place in which 
it is kept.” 

“ That is true, and it might not be difficult to find it, did 
we dare to search ! ” 

“ This is for you, Judith ; it is altogether for you. The 
chist is your’n, or your father’s ; and Hutter is your father, 
not mine. Cur’osity is a woman’s and not a man’s failing ; 
and there you have got all the reasons before you. If the 
chist has articles for ransom, it seems to me they would be 
wisely used in redeeming their owner’s life, or even in saving 
his scalp ; but that is a matter for your judgment, and not 
for our’n. When the lawfid owner of a trap, or a buck, 
or a canoe, isn’t present, his next of kin becomes his ripri- 
sentatyve, by all the laws of the woods. We therefore leave 
you to say whether the chist shall or shall not be opened.” 

“ I hope you do not believe I can hesitate, when my father’s 
life ’s in danger, Deerslayer ! ” 

“ Why, it ’s pretty much putting a scolding ag’in tears and 
mourning. It’s not onreasonable to foretell that old Tom 
may find fault with what you ’ve done, when he sees him- 
self once more in his hut, here ; but there ’s nothing unusual 
in men’s falling out with what has been done for their own 
good ; I dare to say that even the moon would seem a differ- 
ent thing from what it now does, could we look at it from the 
other side.” 

“ Deerslayer, if we can find the key, I will authorize you 
to open the chest, and to take such things from it as you may 
think will buy father’s ransom,” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


215 


“ First find the key, gal ; we 11 talk of the rest aler wards. 
Sarpent, you Ve eyes like a fly, and a judgment that ’s seldom 
out; can you help us in calculating where Floating Tom 
would be apt to keep the key of a chist that he holds to be as 
private as this?” 

The Delaware had taken no part in the discourse, until he 
was thus directly appealed to, when he quitted the chest, 
which had continued to attract his attention, and cast about 
him for the place in which a key would be likely to be con- 
cealed under such circumstances. As Judith and Deerslayer 
were not idle the while, the whole three were soon engaged 
in an anxious and spirited search. As it was certain that the 
desired key was not to be found in any of the common drawers 
or closets, of which there were several in the building, none 
looked there, but all turned their inquiries to those places 
that struck them as ingenious hiding-places, and more likely 
to be used for such a purpose. In this manner the outer 
room was thoroughly but fruitlessly examined, when they 
entered the sleeping-apartment of Hutter. This part of the 
rude building was better furnished than the rest of the struc- 
ture, containing several articles that had been especially 
devoted to the service of the deceased wife of its owner ; but 
as Judith had all the rest of the keys, it was soon rummaged, 
without bringing to light the particular key desired. 

They now entered the bedroom of the daughters. Chin- 
gachgook was immediately struck with the contrast between 
the articles, and the arrangement of that side of the room 
that might be called Judith’s, and that which more properly 
belonged to Hetty. A slight exclamation escaped him, and 
pointing in each direction, he alluded to the fact in a low 
voice, speaking to his friend in the Delaware tongue. 

“As you think, Sarpent,” answered Deerslayer, whose 
remarks we always translate into English, preserving as much 
as possible of the peculiar phraseology and manner of the man. 


216 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ ’T is just so, as any one may see ; and ’t is all founded in natur’. i 
One sister loves finery, some say, overmuch ; while t’ other is 
as meek and lowly as G-od ever created goodness and truth. 
Yet, after all, I dare say that Judith has her vartues, and 
Hetty has her failia’s.’’ 

“ And the ‘ Feeble-Mind ’ has seen the chest opened ? ” 
inquired Chingachgook, with curiosity in his glance. 

“ Sartain ; that much I Ve heard from her own lips ; and, 
for that matter, so have you. It seems her father doesn’t 
misgive her discretion, though he does that of his eldest 
darter.” 

“Then the key is hid only from the Wild Rose?” for so 
Chingachgook had begun gallantly to term Judith, in his private 
discourse with his friend. 

“ That ’s it ! That ’s just it ! One he trusts, and the other 
he does n’t. There ’s red and white in that, Sarpent ; all tribes 
and nations agreeing in trusting some, and refusing to trust 
other some. It depends on character and judgment.” 

“ Where could a key be put, so little likely to be found by 
the Wild Rose, as among coarse clothes ? ” 

Deerslayer started, and turning to his friend with admiration 
expressed in every lineament of his face, he fairly laughed, in 
his silent but hearty manner, at the ingenuity and readiness 
of the conjecture. 

“ Your name ’s well bestowed, Sarpent — yes, ’t is well 
bestowed ! Sure enough, where would a lover of finery be 
so little likely to s’arch, as among garments as coarse and i 
unseemly as these of poor Hetty? I dare to say Judith’s 
delicate fingers haven’t touched a bit of cloth as rough and 
oncomely as that petticoat, now, since she first made ac- | 
quaintance with the officers ! Yet, who knows ? the key | 
may be as likely to be on the same peg as in any other 
place. Take down the garment, Delaware, and let us see if 
you are ra’ally a prophet.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


217 


Chingachgook did as desired, but no key was found. A 
coarse pocket, apparently empty, hung on the adjoining peg, 
and this was next examined. By this time, the attention of 
Judith was called in that direction, and she spoke hurriedly, 
and like one who wished to save unnecessary trouble. 

“ These are only the clothes of poor Hetty, dear simple 
girl ! ” she said ; “ nothing we seek would be likely to be 
there.” 

The words were hardly out of the handsome mouth of the 
speaker, when Chingachgook drew the desired key from the 
pocket. Judith was too quick of apprehension not to under- 
stand the reason a hiding-place so simple and exposed had been 
used. The blood rushed to her face, as much with resentment, 
perhaps, as with shame ; and she bit her lip, though she con- 
tinued silent. Deerslayer and his friend now discovered the 
delicacy of men of native refinement, neither smiling, nor even 
by a glance betraying how completely he understood the motives 
and ingenuity of this clever artifice. The former, who had taken 
the key from the Indian, led the way into the adjoining room, 
and applying it to a lock, ascertained that the right instrument 
had actually been found. There were three padlocks, each of 
w'hich, however, was easily opened by this single key. Deer- 
slayer removed them all, loosened the hasps, raised the lid a 
little to make certain it was loose, and then he drew back 
from the chest several feet, signing to his friend to follow. 

“This is a family chist, Judith,” he said, “and ’t is like 
to hold family secrets. The Sarpent and I will go into the 
ark, and look to the canoes, and paddles, and oars; while 
you can examine it by yourself, and find out whether any- 
thing that will be a make-weight in a ransom is or is not 
among the articles. When you’ve got through, give us a 
call, and we ’ll all sit in council together, touching the valie 
of the articles.” 

“Stop, Deerslayer,” exclaimed the girl, as he was about 


218 


THE DEERSLAYER 


to withdraw; “not a single thing will I touch — I will not 
even raise the lid — unless you are present. Father and 
Hetty have seen fit to keep the inside of this chest a secret 
from me, and I am much too proud to pry into their hidden 
treasures, unless it were for their own good. But on no 
account will I open the chest alone. Stay with me, then ; 
I want witnesses of what I do.” 

“ I rather think, Sarpent, that the gal is right ! Confi- 
dence and reliance beget security, but suspicion is like to 
make us all wary. Judith has a right to ask us to be 
present; and should the chist hold any of Master Hutter’s 
secrets, they will fall into the keeping of two as close- 
mouthed young men as are to be found. We will stay 
with you, Judith — but first let us take 'a look at the lake 
and the shore, for this chist will not be emptied in a 
minute.” 

Tlie two men now went out on the platform, and Deer- 
slayer swept the shore with the glass, wdiile the Indian gravely 
turned his eye on the water and the woods in quest of any 
sign that might betray the machinations of their enemies. 
Nothing was visible, and assured of their temporary security, 
the three collected around the chest again, with the avowed 
object of opening it. 

Judith had held this chest, and its unknown contents, in 
a species of reverence as long as she could remember. Neither 
her father nor her mother ever mentioned it in her presence, 
and there appeared to be a silent convention, that in naming 
the different objects that occasionally stood near it, or even 
lay on its lid, care should be had to avoid any allusion to the 
chest itself. Habit rendered this so easy, and so much a 
matter of course, that it was only quite recently the girl had 
begun even to muse on the singularity of the circumstance. 
But there had never been sufficient intimacy between Hutter 
and his eldest daughter to invite confidence. At times he was 


THE DEERSLAYER 


219 


kind, but in general, with her more especially, he was stern 
and morose. Least of all had his authority been exercised in 
a way to embolden his child to venture on the liberty she 
was about to take without many misgivings of the consequences, 
although the liberty proceeded from a desire to serve himself. 
Then Judith was not altogether free from a little superstition 
on the subject of this chest, which had stood a sort of tabooed 
relic before her eyes from childhood to the present hour. Nev- 
ertheless, the time had come when it would seem that this 
mystery was to be explained, and that under circumstances, 
too, which left her very little choice in the matter. 

Finding that both her companions were watching her 
movements in grave silence, Judith placed a hand on the 
lid, and endeavored to raise it. Her strength, however, 
was insufficient, and it appeared to the girl, who was fully 
aware that all the fastenings were removed, that she was 
resisted in an unhallowed attempt by some supernatural power. 

“ I cannot raise the lid, Deerslayer,” she said ; “ had we 
not better give up the attempt, and find some other means of 
releasing the prisoners?” 

“Not so, Judith; not so, gal. No means are as sartain 
and easy as a good bribe,” answered the other. “As for 
the lid, ’tis held by nothing but its own weight, which is 
prodigious for so small a piece of wood, loaded with iron as 
it is.” 

As Deerslayer spoke, he applied his own strength to the 
elfort, and succeeded in raising the lid against the timbers 
of the house, where he took care to secure it by a sufficient 
prop. Judith fairly trembled, as she cast her first glance at 
the interior; and she felt a temporary relief in discovering 
that a piece of canvas that was carefully tucked in around 
the edges effectually concealed all beneath it. The chest was 
apparently well stored, however, the canvas lying within an 
inch of the lid. 


220 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Here ’s a full cargo,” said Deerslayer, eying the arrange- 
ment; “and we had needs go to work leisurely, and at our 
ease. Sarpent, bring some stools, while I spread this blanket 
on the floor, and then we ’ll begin work orderly and in com- 
fort.” 

The Delaware complied; Deerslayer civilly placed a stool 
for Judith, took one himself, and commenced the removal of 
the canvas covering. This was done deliberately, and in as 
cautious a manner as if it were believed that fabrics of a 
delicate construction lay hidden beneath. When the canvas 
was removed, the first articles that came in view were some 
of the habiliments of the male sex. These were of fine 
materials, and, according to the fashions of the age, were 
gay in colors and rich in ornaments. One coat, in particular, 
was of scarlet, and had button-holes worked in gold thread. 
Still it was not military, but was part of the attire of a 
civilian of condition, at a period when social rank was rigidly 
respected in dress. Chingachgook could not refrain from an 
exclamation of pleasure, as soon as Deerslayer opened this 
coat, and held it up to view; for, notwithstanding all his 
trained self-command, the splendor of the vestment was too 
much for the philosophy of an Indian. Deerslayer turned 
quickly, and he regarded his friend with a momentary dis- 
pleasure, as this burst of weakness escaped him ; and then he 
soliloquized, as was his practice whenever any strong feeling 
suddenly got the ascendency. 

“ ’T is his gift ! ^ yes, ’t is the gift of a redskin to love 
finery, and he is not to be blamed. This is an extr’ornary 
garment, too ; and extr’ornary things get up extr’ornary 
feelin’s. I think this will do, Judith, for the Indian heart 
is hardly to be found in all America that can withstand 
colors like these and glitter like that. If this coat was ever 
made for your father, you Ve come honestly by the taste for 
finery, you have.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


221 


“ That coat was never made for father,” answered the girl, 
quickly ; “ it is much too long ; "while father is short and 
square.” 

“ Cloth was plenty, if it was, and glitter cheap,” answered 
Deerslayer, with his silent, joyous laugh. “ Sarpent, this 
garment was made for a man of your size, and I should like 
to see it on your shoulders.” 

Chingachgook, nothing loath, submitted to the trial ; 
throwing aside the coarse and threadbare jacket of Hutter, 
to deck his person in a coat that was originally intended for 
a gentleman. The transformation was ludicrous ; but as 
men are seldom struck with incongruities in their own 
appearance any more than in their own conduct, the Dela- 
ware studied this change in a common glass, by which Hut- 
ter was in the habit of shaving, with grave interest. At 
that moment he thought of Hist, and we owe it to truth to 
say, though it may militate a little against the stern charac- 
ter of a warrior to own it, that he wished he could be seen 
by her in his present improved aspect. 

“Off with it, Sarpent — off with it,” resumed the inflexible 
Deerslayer ; “ such garments as little become you as they 
would become me. Your gifts are for paint, and hawk’s 
feathers, and blankets, and wampum ; and mine are for doub- 
lets of skins, tough leggings, and sarviceable moccasins. I 
say moccasins, Judith, for though white, living as I do in 
the woods, it ’s necessary to take to some of the pract^/ces of 
the woods, for comfort’s sake and cheapness.” 

“I see no reason, Deerslayer, why one man may not wear 
a scarlet coat as well as another,” returned the girl. “ I wish 
I could see you in this handsome garment.” 

“See me in a coat fit for a lord! Well, Judith, if you. 
wait till that day, you ’ll wait until you see me beyond rea- 
son and memory. No — no — gal, my gifts are my gifts, and 
I ’ll live and die in ’em, though I never bring down another 


222 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


deer or spear another salmon. What have I done that you 
should wish to see nie in such a daunting coat, Judith?” 

“ Because I think, Deerslayer, that the false-tongued and 
false-hearted young gallants of the garrison ought not alone 
to appear in fine feathers ; but that truth and honesty have 
their claims to be honored and exalted.” 

“And what exaltification ” — the reader will have remarked 
that Deerslayer had not very critically studied his dictionary — 
“And what exaltification would it be to me, Judith, to be 
bedizened and bescarleted like a Mingo chief that has just 
got his presents up from Quebec? No — no — I’m well as I 
am ; and if not, I can be no better. Lay the coat down on the 
blanket, Sarpent, and let us look further into the chist.” 

The tempting garment, one surely that was never intended 
for Hotter, was laid aside, and the examination proceeded. 
The male attire, all of which corresponded with the coat in 
quality, was soon exhausted, and then succeeded female. 
A beautiful dress of brocade, a little the worse from negli- 
gent treatment, followed ; and this time open exclamations 
of delight escaped the lips of Judith. Much as the girl had 
been addicted to dress, and favorable as had been her oppor- 
tunities of seeing some little pretension in that way, among 
the wives of the different commandants, and other ladies of 
the forts, never before had she beheld a tissue, or tints to 
equal those that were now so unexpectedly placed before her 
eyes. Her rapture was almost childish ; nor would she 
allow the inquiry to proceed until she had attired her person 
in a robe so unsuited to her habits and her abode. With 
this end, she withdrew into her own room, where, with 
hands practised in such offices, she soon got rid of her own 
neat gown of linen, and stood forth in the gay tints of the 
brocade. The dress happened to fit the fine, full person of 
Judith, and certainly it never adorned a being better quali- 
fied by natural gifts to do credit to its really rich hues and 


THE DEERSLAYER 


223 


fine texture. When she returned, both Deerslayer and 
Chingachgook, who had passed the brief time of her absence 
in taking a second look at the male garments, arose in surprise, 
each permitting exclamations of wonder and pleasure to escape 
him, in a way so unequivocal as to add new lustre to the eyes 
of Judith, by flushing her cheeks with a glow of triumph. 
Affecting, however, not to notice the impression she had made, 
the girl seated herself with the stateliness of a queen, desiring 
that the chest might be looked into further. 

“ I don’t know a better way to treat with the Mingos, gal,” 
cried Deerslayer, “ than to send you ashore as you be, and to 
tell ’em that a queen has arrived among ’em. They ’ll give up 
old Hutter and Harry, and Hetty too, at such a spectacle ! ” 

“ I thought your tongue too honest to flatter, Deerslayer,” 
returned the girl, gratified at this admiration more than she 
would have cared to own. “One of the chief reasons of my 
respect for^you was your love for truth.” 

“And ’tis tmth and solemn truth, Judith, and nothing 
else. Never did eyes of mine gaze on as glorious a lookin’ 
creatur’ as you be yourself, at this very moment. I’ve seen 
beauties in my time, too, both white and red ; and them that 
was renowned and talked of far and near ; but never have I 
beheld one that could hold any comparison with what you are 
at this blessed instant, Judith, — never.” 

The glance of delight which the girl bestowed on the frank- 
speaking hunter in no degi'ee lessened the effect of her charms ; 
and as the humid eyes blended with it a look of sensibility, 
perhaps Judith never appeared more truly lovely than at what 
the young man had called that “ blessed instant.” He shook 
his head, held it suspended a moment over the open chest like 
one in doubt, and then proceeded with the examination. 

Several of the minor articles of female dress came next, 
all of a quality to correspond with the gown. These were 
laid at Judith’s feet^ in silence, as if she had a natural claim 


224 


THE DEERSLAYER 


to their possession. One or two, such as gloves and laces, ; 
the girl caught up and appended to her already rich attire, in 
aifected playfulness, but with the real design of decorating i 
her person as far as circumstances would allow. When these j 
two remarkable suits, male and female they might be termed, 
were removed, another canvas covering separated the remainder 
of the articles from the part of the chest which they had j 
occupied. As soon as Deerslayer perceived this arrangement, | 
he paused, doubtful of the propriety of proceeding any further. 

“ Every man has his secrets, I suppose,” he said, “ and all 
men have a right to their enj’yment; we’ve got low enough \ 
in this chist, in my judgment, to answer our wants, and it ! 
seems to me we should do well by going no further ; and 
by letting Master Hutter have to himself and his own feelin’s ! 
all that ’s beneath this cover.” 

“Do you mean, Deerslayer, to offer these clothes to the (I 
Iroquois as ransom?” demanded Judith, quickly. ^ ll 

“ Sartain. What are we prying into another man’s chist ii 
for, but to sarve its owner in the best way we can? This ' 
coat, alone, would be very apt to gain over the head-chief of ji 
the riptyles; and if his wife or darter should happen to be f 
out with him, that there gownd would soften the heart of }' 
any woman that is to be found atween Albany and Montreal. | 
I do not see that we want a larger stock in trade than them 1 
two articles.” [ 

“ To you it may seem so, Deerslayer,” returned the disap- | 
pointed girl; “but of what use could a dress like this be to ■ 
any Indian woman ? She could not wear it among the branches i 
of the trees ; the dirt and smoke of the wigwam would soon ! 
soil it ; and how would a pair of red arms appear thrust j 
through these short, laced sleeves ! ” I 

“ All very true, gal ; and you might go on and say, it is i 
altogether out of time, and place, and season, in this region i 
at all. What is it to us how the finery is treated, so long as | 


THE LEEnsLAYER 


225 


it answers our wishes? I do not see that your father can 
make any use of such clothes ; and it ’s lucky he has things 
that are of no valie to himself, that will bear a high price 
with others. We can make no better trade for him than to 
offer these duds for his liberty. Well throw in the light 
frivoFties, and get Hurry off in the bargain ! ” 

“ Then you think, Deerslayer, that Thomas Hutter has no 
one in his family — no child — no daughter, to whom this 
dress may be thought becoming, and whom you could wish 
to see in it once and a while, even though it should be at 
long intervals, and only in playfulness?” 

“I understand you, Judith — yes, I now understand your 
meaning ; and I think I can say, your wishes. That you are 
as glorious in that dress as the sun when it rises or sets in a 
soft October day, I ’m ready to allow ; and that you greatly 
become it is a good deal more sartain than that it becomes 
you. There 's gifts in clothes as well as in other things. 
Now I do not think that a warrior on his first path ought to 
lay on the same awful paints as a chief that has had his 
vartue tried, and knows from exper’ence he will not disgrace 
his pretensions. So it is with all of us, red or white. You 
are Thomas Hutter’s darter, and that gownd was made for 
the child of some governor, or a lady of high station ; and it 
was intended to be worn among fine furniture and in rich 
company. In my eyes, Judith, a modest maiden never looks 
more becoming than when becomingly clad, and nothing is 
suitable that is out of character. Besides, gal, if there ’s a 
creatur’ in the colony that can afford to do without finery, 
and to trust to her own good looks and sweet countenance, 
it ’s yourself” 

“ 1 11 take off the rubbish this instant, Deerslayer,” cried 
the girl, springing up to leave the room ; “ and never do I 
wish to see it on any human being again.” 

“So it is with ’em all, Sarpent,” said the other, turning to 
Q 


220 


THK DKKRSLAYER 


his friend and laughing, as soon as the beauty had disap- 
peared. “ They like finery, but they like their native j 
charms most of all. I ’m glad the gal has consented to lay | 
aside her furbelows, howsever, for it’s ag’in reason for one 
of her class to wear ’em ; and then she is handsome enough, 
as I call it, to go alone. Hist would show oncommon likely, 
too, in such a gownd, Delaware ! ” 

“ Wah-ta-Wah is a redskin girl, Deerslayer,” returned the 
Indian ; “ like the young of the pigeon she is to be known 
by her own feathers. I should pass by without knowing 
her, were she dressed in such a skin. It ’s wisest always to 
be so clad that our friends need not ask us for our name. 
The Wild Rose is very pleasant, but she is no sweeter for so 
many colors.” 

“That’s it! — that’s natur’, and the true foundation for 
love and protection. When a man stops to pick a wild straw- 
berry, he does not expect to find a melon ; and when he 
wishes to gather a melon, he ’s disapp’inted if it proves to be 
a squash ; though squashes he often brighter to the eye than 
melons. That ’s it, and it means, stick to your gifts and your 
gifts will stick to you.” 

The two men had now a little discussion together, touching 
the propriety of penetrating any further into the chest of ! 
Hotter, when Judith reappeared, divested of her robes, and 
in her own simple linen frock again. 

“ Thank you, Judith,” said Deerslayer, taking her kindly by 
the hand ; “ for I know it went a little ag’in the nat’ral cravings 
of woman to lay aside so much finery as it might be in a lump. 
But you ’re more pleasing to the eye as you stand, you be, than 
if you had a crown on your head, and jewels dangling from 
your hair. The question now is, whether to lift this covering 
to see what will be ra’ally the best bargain we can make for 
Master Hutter ; for we must do as Ave think he would be willing 
to do, did he stand here in our places.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


227 


Judith looked very happy. Accustomed as she was to 
adulation, the humble homage of Deerslayer had given her 
more true satisfaction than she had ever yet received from the 
tongue of man. It was not the terms in which this admira- 
tion had been expressed, for they were simple enough, that 
produced so strong an impression ; nor yet their novelty, or 
their w^armth of manner, nor any of those peculiarities that 
usually give value to praise ; but the unflinching truth of 
the speaker, that carried his words so directly to the heart 
of the listener. This is one of the great advantages of plain 
dealing and frankness. The habitual and wily flatterer may 
succeed until his practices recoil on himself, and, like other 
sweets, his ailment cloys by its excess ; but he who deals 
honestly, though he often necessarily olfend, possesses a 
power of praising that no quality but sincerity can bestow ; 
since his words go directly to the heart, finding their sup- 
port in the understanding. Thus it was with Deerslayer and 
Judith ; so soon and so deeply did this simple hunter impress 
those w'ho knew him with a conviction of his unbending 
honesty, that all he uttered in commendation was as certain 
to please, as all he uttered in the way of rebuke was as cer- 
tain to rankle and excite enmity where his character had not 
awakened a respect and affection, that in another sense ren- 
dered it painful. In after life, when the career of this untu- 
tored being brought him in contact with officers of rank, and 
others intrusted with the care of the interests of the state, 
this same influence was exerted on a wider field ; even gen- 
erals listening to his commendations with a glow of pleasure 
that it was not always in the power of their official superiors 
to awaken. Perhaps Judith was the first individual of his 
own color who fairly submitted to this natural consequence 
of truth and fair-dealing, on the part of Deerslayer. She had 
actually pined for his praise, and she had now received it ; and 
that in the form which was most agreeable to her weaknesses 


228 


THE DEERSLAYER 


and habits of thought. The result will appear in the course of 
the narrative. 

“ If we knew all that chest holds, Deerslayer,” returned the 
girl, when she had a little recovered from the immediate effect 
produced by his commendations of her personal appearance, 
“,we could better determine on the course we ought to take.” 

“ That ’s not onreasonable, gal, though it ’s more a pale-face 
than a redskin gift, to be prying into other people’s secrets.” 

“ Curiosity is natural, and it is expected that all human beings 
should have human failings. Whenever I ’ve been at the gar- 
risons, I ’ve found that most, in and about them, had a longing 
to learn their neighbor’s secrets.” 

“Yes, and sometimes to fancy them, when they couldn’t 
find ’em out ! That ’s the difference atween an Indian gentle- 
man and a white gentleman. The Sarpent, here, would turn 
his head aside, if he found himself onknowingly lookin’ into 
another chief’s wigwam ; whereas, in the settlements, wdiile all 
pretend to be great people, most prove they ’ve got betters, by 
the manner in which they talk of their consarns. I ’ll be bound, 
Judith, you wovddn’t get the Sarpent, there, to confess there 
was another in the tribe so much greater than himself, as to 
become the subject of his idees, and to empl’y his tongue in 
conversations about his movements, and ways, and food, and 
all the other little matters that occupy a man when he ’s not 
empl’yed in his greater duties. He who does this is but little 
better than a blackguard in the grain, and them that encour- 
ages him is pretty much of the same kidney, let them wear 
coats as fine as they may, or of what dye they please.” 

“ But this is not another man’s wigwam ; it belongs to my 
father; these are his things, and they are wanted in his 
service.” 

“ That ’s true, gal, that ’s true ; and it carries weight with 
it. Well, when all is before us, we may, indeed, best judge 
which to offer for the ransom, and which to withhold.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


229 


Judith was not altogether as disinterested in her feelings as 
she affected to be. She remembered that the curiosity of 
Hetty had been indulged, in connection with this chest, while 
her owm had been disregarded ; and she was not sorry to pos- 
sess an opportunity of being placed on a level with her less 
gifted sister, in this one particular. It appearing to be 
admitted all round that the inquiry into the contents of the 
chest ought to be renewed, Deerslayer proceeded to remove the 
second covering of canvas. 

The articles that lay uppermost, when the curtain w’as again 
raised on the secrets of the chest, were a pair of pistols, curi- 
ously inlaid with silver. Their value would have been con- 
siderable in one of the towns, though as weapons, in the woods, 
they were a species of arms seldom employed, never indeed, 
unless it might be by some officer from Europe, who visited 
the colonies, as many were then wont to do, so much impressed 
with the superiority of the usages of London, as to fancy they 
were not to be laid aside on the frontiers of America. What 
occurred on the discovery of these weapons will appear in the 
succeeding chapter. 


CHAPTER XIII 

“ An oaken, broken, elbow chair ; 

A candle-cup without an ear ; 

A battered, shattered, ash bedstead ; 

A box of deal without a lid ; 

A pair of tongs, but out of joint ; 

A back-sword poker, without point: 

A dish which might good meat afford once ; 

An Ovid, and an old Concordance.” 

Dean Swift’s Inventory. 

No sooner did Deerslayer raise the pistols, than he turned 
to the Delaware, and held them up for his admiration. 


230 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Child gull,” said the Serpent, smiling, while he handled 
one of the instruments as if it had been a toy. 

“Not it, Sarpent ; not it. ’T is made for a man, and would 
satisfy a giant if rightly used. But stop ; white men are 
remarkable for their carelessness in putting away fire-arms in 
chists and corners. Let me look if care has been given to 
these.” 

As Deerslayer spoke, he took the weapon from the hand of 
his friend and opened the pan. The last was filled with prim- 
ing, caked like a bit of cinder, by time, moisture, and com- 
pression. An application of the ramrod showed that both the 
pistols were charged, although Judith could testify that they 
had probably lain for years in the chest. It is not easy to 
portray the surprise of the Indian at this discovery, for he was 
in the practice of renewing his priming daily, and of looking to 
the contents of his piece at other short intervals. 

. “ This is white neglect,” said Deerslayer, shaking his head, 
“ and scarce a season goes by that some one in the settlements 
does n’t suffer from it. It ’s extr’ornary too, Judith — yes, it ’s 
downright extr’ornary that the owner shall fire his piece at a 
deer, or some other game, or perhaps at an inimy, and twice 
out of three times he ’ll miss ; but let him catch an accident 
with one of these forgotten charges, and he makes it sartain 
death to a child, or a brother, or a fri’nd ! Well, we shall do 
a good turn to the owner if we fire these pistols for him ; and 
as they ’re novelties to you and me, Sarpent, we ’ll try our hand 
at a mark. Freshen that priming, and I ’ll do the same with 
this, and then we ’ll see who is the best man with a pistol ; 
as for the rifle, that’s long been settled atween us.” 

Deerslayer laughed heartily at his own conceit, and, in a 
minute or two, they were both standing on the platform, select- 
ing some object in the ark for their target. Judith was led by 
curiosity to their side. 

“ Stand back, gal, stand a little back ; these we’pons have 


THE DEERSLA YER 23.1 

been long loaded,” said Deerslayer, “ and some accident may 
happen in the discharge.” 

“ Then you shall not fire them ! Give them both to the 
Delaware; or it would be better to unload them without 
firing.” 

“ That ’s ag’in usage — and some people say ag’in manhood ; 
though I hold no such silly doctrine. We must fire ’em, 
J udith ; yes, we must fire ’em ; though I foresee that neither 
will have any great reason to boast of his skill.” 

Judith, in the main, was a girl of great personal spirit, and 
her habits prevented her from feeling any of the terror that is 
apt to come over her sex at the report of fire-arms. She had 
discharged many a rifle, and had even been known to kill a 
deer, under circumstances that were favorable to the effort. 
She submitted, therefore, falling a little back by the side of 
Deerslayer, giving the Indian the front of the platform to him- 
self. Chingachgook raised the weapon several times, endeavored 
to steady it by using both hands, changed his attitude, from 
one that was awkward to another still more so, and finally 
drew the trigger with a sort of desperate indifference, without 
having, in reality, secured any aim at all. The consequence 
was, that instead of hitting the knot, which had been selected 
for the mark, he missed the ark altogether ; the bullet skip- 
ping along the water like a stone that was thrown by hand. 

“ Well done ! Sarpent ; well done ! ” cried Deerslayer, laugh- 
ing with his noiseless glee, “ you ’ve hit the lake, and that ’s an 
expl’ite, for some men ! I know’d it, and as much as said it 
here, to Judith ; for your short we’pons don’t belong to red- 
skin gifts. You’ve hit the lake, and that’s better than only 
hitting the air ! Now, stand back, and let us see what white 
gifts can do with a white we’pon. A pistol is n’t a rifle ; but 
color is color.” 

The aim of Deerslayer was both quick and steady, and the 
report followed almost as soon as the weapon rose. Still the 


232 


THE DEERSLAYER 


pistol hung fire, as it is termed, and fragments of it flew in 
a dozen directions, some falling on the roof of the castle, others 
in the ark, and one in the water. Judith screamed, and w^hen 
the two men turned anxiously towards the girl, she was as 
pale as death, trembling in every limb. 

“She’s wounded — yes, the poor gal’s wounded, Sarpent, 
though one couldn’t foresee it, standing where she did. We’ll 
lead her in to a seat, and we must do the best for her that 
our knowledge and skill can afford.” 

Judith allowed herself to be supported to a seat, swallowed 
a mouthful of the water that the Delaware offered to her in 
a gourd, and after a violent fit of trembling, that seemed ready 
to shake her fine frame to dissolution, she burst into tears. 

“The pain must be borne, poor Judith — yes, it must be 
borne,” said Deerslayer, soothingly ; “ though I am far from 
wishing you not to weep ; for weeping often lightens galish 
feelin’s. Where can she be hurt, Sarpent ? I see no signs of 
blood, nor any rent of skin or garments.” 

“I am uninjured, Deerslayer,” stammered the girl through 
her tears. “ It ’s fright — nothing more, I do assure you ; 
and, God be praised ! no one, I find, has been harmed by the 
accident.” 

“ This is extr’ornary ! ” exclaimed the unsuspecting and simple- 
minded hunter. “ I thought, Judith, you ’d been above settle- 
ment weaknesses, and that you was a gal not to be frightened 
by the sound of a bursting we’pon. No, I didn’t think you 
so skeary ! Hetty might well have been startled ; but you ’ve 
too much judgment and reason to be frightened when the 
danger’s all over. They’re pleasant to the eye, chief, and 
changeful, but very unsartain in their feelin’s ! ” 

Shame kept Judith silent. There had been no acting in her 
agitation, but all had fairly proceeded from sudden and un- 
controllable alarm — an alarm that she found almost as inex- 
plicable to herself, as it proved to be to her companions. 


THE DEERSLA YER 233 

Wiping away the traces of tears, however, she smiled again, 
and was soon able to join in the laugh at her own folly. 

“ And you, Deerslayer,” she at length succeeded in saying, 
“ are you, indeed, altogether unhurt 'I It seems almost mi- 
raculous that a pistol should have burst in your hand, and you 
escape without the loss of a limb, if not of life ! ” 

“ Such wonders are n’t oncommon, at all, among worn-out 
arms. The first rifle they gave me played the same trick, 
and yet I lived through it, though not as onharmless as I ’ve 
got out of this affair. Thomas Hutter is master of one pistol 
less than he was this morning ; but as it happened in try- 
ing to sarve him, there’s no ground of complaint. Now, 
draw near, and let us look further into the inside of the 
chist.” 

Judith, by this time, had so far got the better of her agita- 
tion as to resume her seat, and the examination went on. 
The next article that offered was enveloped in cloth, and, 
on opening it, it proved to be one of the mathematical 
instruments that were then in use among seamen, possessing 
the usual ornaments and fastenings in brass. Deerslayer and 
Chingachgook expressed their admiration and surprise at the 
appearance of the unknown instrument, which was bright and 
glittering, having apparently been well cared for. 

“ This goes beyond the surveyors, Judith ! ” Deerslayer 
exclaimed, after turning the instrument several times in his 
hands. “ I ’ve seen all their tools often, and wicked and heart- 
less enough are they, for they never come into the forest but 
to lead the way to waste and destruction ; but none of them 
has as designing a look as this ! I fear me, after all, that 
Thomas Hutter has journeyed into the wilderness with no fair 
intentions towards its happiness. Did you ever see any of 
the cravings of a surveyor about your father, gal ? ” 

“ He is no surveyor, Deerslayer, nor does he know the use 
of that instrument, though he seems to own it. Do you sup- 


234 


THE DEERSLAYER 


pose that Thomas Hotter ever wore that coat ? It is as much 
too large for him as this instrument is beyond his learning.” 

“ That ’s it — that must be it, Sarpent ; and the old fellow, 
by some onknown means, has fallen heir to another man’s 
goods ! They say he has been a mariner, and no doubt this 
chist and all it holds — Ha ! what have we here 1 This far 
outdoes the brass and black wood of the tool ! ” 

Deerslayer had opened a small bag, from which he was tak- 
ing, one by one, the pieces of a set of chessmen. They were 
of ivory, much larger than common, and exquisitely wrought. 
Each piece represented the character or thing after which it is 
named ; the knights being mounted, the castles stood on ele- 
phants, and even the pawns possessed the heads and busts of 
men. The set was not complete, aud a few fractures betrayed 
bad usage ; but all that was left had been carefidly put away 
and preserved. Even Judith expressed wonder as these novel 
objects were placed before her eyes, and Chingachgook fairly for- 
got his Indian dignity iii admiration and delight. The latter 
took up each piece and examined it with never-tiring satis- 
faction, pointing out to the girl the more ingenious and strik- 
ing portions of the workmanship. But the elephants gave him 
the greatest pleasure. The “ Hughs ! ” that he uttered as he 
passed his fingers over their trunks and ears and tails were 
very distinct ; nor did he fail to note the pawns, which were 
armed as archers. This exhibition lasted several minutes, dur- 
ing which time Judith and the Indian had all the rapture 
to themselves. Deerslayer sat silent, thoughtful, and even 
gloomy, though his eyes followed each movement of the two 
principal actors, noting every new peculiarity about the pieces 
as they were held up to view. Not an exclamation of pleas- 
ure nor a word of condemnation passed his lips. At length 
his companions observed his silence, and then, for the first 
time since the chessmen had been discovered, did he speak. 

“Judith,” he asked earnestly, but with a concern that 


THE HEERSLAYER 


235 


amounted almost to tenderness of manner, “ did your parents 
ever talk to you of religion ? ” 

The girl colored, and the flashes of crimson that passed over 
her beautiful countenance were like the wayward tints of a 
Neapolitan sky in November. Deerslayer had given her so 
strong a taste for truth, however, that she did not waver in 
her answer, replying simply and with sincerity, — 

“ My mother did, often,” she said ; “my father, never. I 
thought it made my mother sorrowful to speak of our prayers 
and duties, but my father has never opened his mouth on such 
matters before or since her death.” 

“ That I can believe — that I can believe. He has no God 
— no such God as it becomes a man of white skin to worship, 
or even a redskin. Them things are idols ! ” 

Judith started, and for a moment she seemed seriously hurt. 
Then she reflected, and in the end she laughed. 

“ And you think, Deerslayer, that these ivory toys are my 
father’s gods? I have heard of idols, and know what they 
are.” 

“ Them are idols ! ” repeated the other positively. “ Why 
should' your father keep ’em if he does n’t worship ’em ? ” 

“Would he keep his gods in a bag, and locked up in a 
chest? No, no, Deerslayer; my poor father carries his god 
with him wherever he goes, and that is in his own cravings. 
These things may really be idols — I think they are, myself, 
from what I have heard and read of idolatry, but they have 
come from some distant country, like all the other articles, 
and have fallen into Thomas Hutter’s hands when he was a 
sailor.” 

“I’m glad of it — I am downright glad to hear it, Judith, 
for I do not think I could have mustered the resolution to 
strive to help a white idolater out of his difficulties. The old 
man is of my color and nation, and I wish to sarve him ; but 
as one who denied all his gifts in the way of religion, it would 


236 


THE DEERSLAYER 


have come hard to do so. That animal seems to give you 
great satisfaction, Sarj^ent, though it ’s an idolatrous head, at 
the best.” 

“It is an elephant,” interrupted Judith, “ I Ve often seen 
pictures of such animals at the garrisons ; and mother had a 
hook in which there was a printed account of the creature. 
Father burnt that, with all the other books, for he said mother 
loved reading too well. This was not long before mother died, 
and I Ve sometimes thought that the loss hastened her end.” 

This was said equally without levity and without any deep 
feeling. It was said without levity, for Judith was saddened 
by her recollections, and yet she had been too much accustomed 
to live for self, and for the indulgence of her own vanities, to 
feel her mother’s wrongs very heavily. It required extraordi- 
nary circumstances to awaken a proper sense of her situation, 
and to stimulate the better feelings of this beautiful, but mis- 
guided girl ; and these circumstances had not yet occurred in 
her brief existence. 

“ Elephant, or no elephant, ’t is an idol,” returned the hunter, 
“and not lit to remain in Christian keeping.” 

“ Good for Iro(piois ! ” said Chingachgook, parting wuth one 
of the castles with reluctance, as his friend took it from him 
to replace it in the bag. “ Elephon buy whole tribe — buy 
Delaware, almost ! ” 

“ Ay, that it would, as any one who comprehends redskin 
natur’ must know,” answered Deerslayer ; “ but tho man that 
passes false money, Sarpent, is as bad as he who makes it. 
Did you ever know a just Injin that wouldn’t scorn to sell a 
coon-skin for the tnie marten, or to pass off a mink for a 
beaver. I know that a few of these idols, perhaps one of them 
elephants, would go far towards buying Thomas flutter’s 
liberty, but it goes ag’in conscience to pass such counterfeit 
money. Perhaps no Injin tribe, hereaway, is downright idol- 
aters, but there ’s some that come so near it, that white gifts 


THE DEE RSL AYER 237 

ought to be particular about encouraging them in their mis- 
take.” 

“ If idolatry is a gift^ Deerslayer, and gifts are what you 
seem to think them, idolatry in such people can hardly be a 
sin,” said Judith, with more smartness than discrimination. 

“ God grants no such gifts to any of His creatures, Judith,” 
returned the hunter seriously, “//e must be adored, under 
some name or other, and not creator’s of brass or ivory. It 
matters not whether the Father of all is called God or Mani- 
tou. Deity or Great Spirit, He is none the less our common 
Maker and Master ; nor does it count for much whether the 
souls of the just go to Paradise or happy hunting-grounds, 
since He may send each his own way, as suits His own pleas- 
ure and wisdom ; but it curdles my blood, when I find human 
mortals so bound up in darkness and consait, as to fashion 
the ’arth, or wood, or bones — tilings made by their own 
hands — into motionless, senseless effigies, and then fall down 
before them, and worship ’em as a Deity ! ” 

“After all, Deerslayer, these pieces of ivory may not be 
idols at all. I remember, now, to have seen one of the officers 
at the garrison, with a set of fox and geese made in some such 
a design as these ; and here is something hard, wrapped in 
cloth, that may belong to your idols.” 

Deerslayer took the bundle the girl gave him, and, unrolling 
it, he found the board within. Like the pieces, it was large, 
rich, and inlaid with ebony and ivory. Putting the whole in 
conjunction, the hunter, though not Avithout many misgivings, 
slowly came over to Judith’s opinion, and finally admitted 
that the fancied idols must be merely the curiously carved 
men of some unknown game. Judith had the tact to use her 
victory with great moderation ; nor did she once, even in the 
most indirect manner, allude to the ludicrous mistake of her 
companion. 

This discovery of the uses of the extraordinary-looking little 


238 


THE DEERSLAYER 


images settled the affair of the proposed ransom. It was 
agreed generally — and all understood the weaknesses and 
tastes of Indians — that nothing could be more likely to tempt 
the cupidity of the Iroquois, than the elephants, in particular. 
Luckily, the whole of the castles were among the 2 )ieces, and 
these four tow'er-bearing animals it was finally determined 
should be the ransom offered. The remainder of the men, and, 
indeed, all the rest of the articles in the chest, were to be 
kept out of view, and to be resorted to only as a last appeal. 
As soon as these preliminaries were settled, everything but 
those intended for the bribe was carefully replaced in the 
chest, and all the covers were “ tucked in ” as they had been 
found ; and it was quite possible, could Hutter have been put 
in possession of the castle again, that he might have passed 
the remainder of his days in it, without even suspecting the 
invasion that had been made on the privacy of the chest. The 
rent pistol would have been the most likely to reveal the 
secret ; but this was placed by the side of its fellow, and all 
were 'pressed down as before — some half-a-dozen packages in 
the bottom of the chest not having been opened at all. When 
this was done, the lid was lowered, the j3adlocks rejolaced, and 
the key turned. The latter was then replaced in the pocket 
from which it had been taken. 

More than an hour was consumed in settling the course 
proper to be pursued, and in returning everything to its place. 
The pauses to converse were frequent ; and Judith, who expe- 
rienced a lively pleasure in the open, undisguised admiration 
with which Deerslayer’s honest eye gazed at her handsome face, 
found the means to prolong the interview, with a dexterity 
that seems to be innate in female coquetry. Deerslayer, 
indeed, appeared to be the first who was conscious of the time 
that had been thus wasted, and to call the attention of his 
companions to the necessity of doing something towards put- 
ting the plan of ransoming into execution. Chingachgook had 


THE l)Et:liSLAYEH 


231 ) 


remained in Hutter’s bedroom, wliere the elephants were laid, 
to feast his eyes with the images of animals so wonderful and 
so novel. Perhaps an instinct told him that his presence would 
not be as acceptable to his companions as this holding himself 
aloof ; for Judith had not much reserve in the manifestations 
of her preferences, and the Delaware had not got so far as one 
betrothed without acquiring some knowledge of the symptoms 
of the master-passion. 

“ Well, Judith,” said Deerslayer, rising, after the interview 
had lasted much longer than even he liimself suspected, “ ’t is 
pleasant convarsing with you, and settling all these matters, 
but duty calls us another way. All this time. Hurry and your 
father, not to say Hetty — ” 

The word Avas cut short in the speaker’s mouth, for, at that 
critical moment, a light step was heard on the platform or 
court-yard, a human figure darkened the doorway, and the 
person last mentioned stood l)efore him. The low exclamation 
that escaped Deerslayer, and the slight scream of Judith Avere 
hardly uttered, when an Indian youth, between the ages of 
fifteen and seventeen, stood beside her. These two entrances 
had been made Avith moccasined feet, and consequently almost 
without noise ; but, unexpected and stealthy as they Avere, they 
had not the ettect to disturb Deerslayer’s self-possession. His 
first measure Avas to speak rapidly in Delaware to his friend, 
cautioning him to keep out of sight, Avhile he stood on his 
guard ; the second Avas to step to the door to ascertain the 
extent of the danger. No one else, hoAvever, had come ; and a 
simple contrivance, in the shape of a raft, that lay floating at 
the side of the ark, at once explained the means that had been 
used in bringing Hetty off. Tavo dead and dry, and conse- 
quently buoyant logs of pine were bound together Avith pins 
and Avithes, and a little platform of riA'en chestnut had been 
rudely placed on their surfaces. Here Hetty had been seated 
on a billet of Avood, Avhile the young Iroquois had roAved the 


240 


THE DEERSLAYER 


primitive and slow-moving, but perfectly safe craft from the 
shore. As soon as Deerslayer had taken a close survey of this 
raft, and satisfied himself nothing else was near, he shook his 
head, and muttered, in his soliloquizing way, — 

“ This comes of prying into another man’s chist ! Had we 
been watchful and keen-eyed, such a surprise could never have 
happened ; and getting this much from a boy, teaches us what 
we may expect when the old warriors set themselves about 
their sarcumventions. It opens the w’ay, however, to a treaty 
for the ransom, and I will hear what Hetty has to say.” 

Judith, as soon as her surprise and alarm had a little abated, 
discovered a proper share of affectionate joy at the return of 
her sister. She folded her to her bosom, and kissed her, as 
had been her wont in the days of their childhood and inno- 
cence. Hetty herself was less affected, for to her there was no 
surprise, and her nerves were sustained by the purity and holi- 
ness of her purpose. At her sister’s request she took a seat, 
and entered into an account of her adventures since they had 
parted. Her tale commenced just as Deerslayer returned, and 
he also became an attentive listener, while the young Iroquois 
stood near the door, seemingly as indifferent to what was pass- 
ing as one of its posts. 

The narrative of the girl was sufficiently clear, until she 
reached the time where we left her in the camp, after the , 
interview with tlie chiefs, and at the moment when Hist 
quitted her, in the abrupt manner already stated. The sequel 
of the story may be told in her own language. 

“ When I read the texts to the cliiefs, Juditli, you could not 
have seen that they made any changes on their minds,” she 
said, “ but if seed is planted, it ivill grow. God planted the 
seeds of all the trees — ” 

“Ay, that did he,” muttered Deerslayer; “and a goodly 
harvest has followed.” 

“ God planted the seeds of all the trees,” continued Hetty, 


THE DEERSLA YER 


241 


after a moment’s pause, “ and you see to what a height and 
shade they have grown ! So it is with the Bible. You may 
read a verse this year, and forget it, and it will come back to 
you a year hence, when you least expect to remember it.” 

“And did you find anything of this, among the savages, 
poor Hetty 1 ” 

“Yes, Judith, and sooner, and more fully than I had even 
hoped. I did not stay long with father and Hurry, but went 
to get my breakfast with Hist. As soon as we had done, the 
chiefs came to us, and then we found the fruits of the seed that 
had been planted. They said what I had read from the good 
book was right — it must be right — it sounded right ; like a 
sweet bird singing in their ears ; and they told me to come 
back and say as much to the great warrior who had slain one 
of their braves ; and to tell it to you, and to say how happy 
they should be to come to church here, in the castle, or to 
come out in the sun, and hear me read more of the sacred 
volume — and to tell you that they wish ygri would lend them 
some canoes, that they can bring father and Hurry, and their 
women, to the castle, that we might all sit on the platform 
there, and listen to the singing of the pale-face Manitou. 
There, Judith ; did you ever know of anything that so plainly 
shows the power of the Bible as that ? ” 

“ If it were true ’t would be a miracle, indeed, Hetty. But 
all this is no more than Indian cunning and Indian treachery, 
striving to get the better of us by management, when they find 
it is not to be done by force.” 

“ Do you doubt the Bible, sister, that you judge the savages 
60 harshly ? ” 

“ I do not doubt the Bible, poor Hetty, but I much doubt 
an Indian and an Iroquois. What do you say to this visit, 
Deerslayer ? ” 

“ First let me talk a little with Hetty,” returned the party 
appealed to; “was this raft made a’ter you had got your 


II 


242 


THE DEERSLAYER 


breakfast, gal ; and did you walk from the camp to the shore 
opposite to us, here ? ” 

“ 0 ! no, Deerslayer. The raft was ready made, and in the 
water — could that have been by a miracle, Judith?” 

“Yes — yes — an Indian miracle,” rejoined the hunter, 
“ They ’re expart enough in them sort of miracles. And you 
found the raft ready made to your hands, and in the water, 
and in waiting like for its cargo ? ” 

“ It was all as you say. The raft was near the camp, and 
the Indians put me on it, and had ropes of bark, and they 
dragged me to the place opposite to the castle, and then they 
told that young man to row me off, here.” 

“ And the woods are full of the vagabonds, waiting to know 
what is to be the upshot of the miracle. We comprehend this 
affair, now, Judith — but I’ll first get rid of this young Cana- 
dian blood-sucker, and then we ’ll settle our own course. Do 
you and Hetty leave us together, first bringing me the elephants, 
which the Sarpent is admiring ; for ’t will never do to let this 
loping deer be alone a minute, or he ’ll borrow a canoe without 
asking.” 

Judith did as desired, first bringing the pieces, and retiring 
with her sister into their own room. Deerslayer had acquired 
sonne knowledge of most of the Indian dialects of that region, 
and he knew enough of the Iroquois to hold a dialogue in the 
language. Beckoning to the lad, therefore, he caused liim to 
take a seat on the chest, when he placed two of the castles 
suddenly before him. Up to that moment, this youthful sav- 
age had not expressed a single intelligible emotion or fancy. 
There were many things in and about the place that were 
novelties to him, but he had maintained his self-command with 
philosophical composure. It is true, Deerslayer had detected 
liis dark eye scanning the defences and the arms, but the 
scrutiny had been made with such an air of innocence, in such 
a gaping, indolent, boyish manner, that no one but a man who 


rilE DEERSLA YER 


243 


had himsfelf been taught in a similar school, would have even 
suspected his object. The instant, however, the eyes of the 
savage fell upon the wrought ivory, and the images of the won- 
derful, unknown beasts, surprise and admiration got the n as- 
tery of him. The manner in which the natives of the South 
Sea Islands first beheld the toys of civilized life, has been often 
described ; but the reader is not to confound it with the man- 
ner of an American Indian under similar circumstances. In 
this particular case, the young Iroquois, or Huron, permitted 
an exclamation of rapture to escape him, and then he checked 
himself, like one who had been guilty of an indecorum. After 
this, his eyes ceased to wander, but became riveted on the ele- 
phants, one of which, after a short hesitation, he even pre- 
sumed to handle. Deerslayer did not interrupt him for quite 
ten minutes ; knowing that the lad was taking such note of 
the curiosities, as would enable him to give the most minute 
and accurate description of their appearance to his seniors, on 
his return. When he thought sufficient time had been allowed 
to produce the desired effect, the hunter laid a finger on the 
naked knee of the youth, and drew his attention to himself. 

“ Listen,” he said ; “ I want to talk with my young friend 
from the Canadas. Let him forget that wonder for a minute.” 

“ Where t’ other pale brother ? ” demanded the boy, looking 
up, and letting the idea that had been most prominent in his 
mind, previously to the introduction of the chessmen, escape 
him involuntarily. 

“ He sleeps — or if he is n’t fairly asleep, he is in the room 
where the men do sleep,” returned Deerslayer. “How did 
my young friend know there was another ? ” 

“ See him from the shore. Iroquois have got long eyes — 
see beyond the clouds — see the bottom of the great spring ! ” 

“ Well, the Iroquois are welcome. Two pale-faces are 
prisoners in the camp of your fathers, boy.” 

The lad nodded, treating the circumstance with great ap- 


244 


THE DEERSLAYER 


parent indifference ; though a inonient after he laughed as if 
exulting in the superior address of his own tribe. 

Can you tell me, boy, what your chiefs intend to do with 
these captives ; or have n’t they yet made up their minds ? ” 

The lad looked a moment at the hunter with a little sur- 
prise ; then he coolly put the end of his forefinger on his own 
head, just above the left ear, and passed it round his crown, 
with an accuracy and readiness that showed how well he had 
been drilled in the peculiar art of Ids race. 

“ When ? ” demanded Deerslayer, whose gorge rose at this 
cool demonstration of indifference to human life. “ And why 
not take them to your wigwams ? ” 

“ Road too long, and full of pale-faces. Wigwam full, and 
scalps sell high. Small scalp, much gold.” 

“Well, that explains it — yes, that does explain it. There’s 
no need of being any plainer. Now, you know, lad, that the 
oldest of your prisoners is the father of these two young 
women, and the other is the suitor of one of them. The gals 
nat’rally wish to save the scalps of such fri’nds, and they will 
give them two ivory creatur’s as ransom ; one for each scalp. 
Go back and tell this to your chiefs, and bring me the answer 
before the sun sets.” 

The boy entered zealously into this project, and with a | 
sincerity that left no doubt of his executing his commission 
with intelligence and promptitude. For a moment he forgot 
his love of honor, and all his clannish hostility to the British 
and their Indians, in his wish to have sueh a treasure in his 
tribe, and Deerslayer was satisfied with the impression he had 
made. It is true, the lad proposed to carry one of the ele- 
phants with him, as a specimen of the other, but to this his 
brother negotiator was too sagacious to consent ; well knowing 
that it might never reach its destination if confided to such 
hands. This little difficulty was soon arranged, and the boy 
prepared to depart. As he stood on the platform ready to 


THE DEERSLAYER 


245 


step aboard of the raft, he hesitated, and turned short with a 
proposal to borrow a canoe, as the means most likely to shorten 
the negotiation. Deerslayer quietly refused the request, and, 
after lingering a little longer, the boy rowed slowly away from 
the castle, taking the direction of a thicket on the shore, that 
lay less than half a mile distant. Deerslayer seated himself 
on a stool, and watched the progress of the ambassador ; 
sometimes scanning the whole line of the shore, as far as eye 
could reach, and then placing an elbow on a knee, he remained 
a long time with his chin resting on the hand. 

During the interview^ between Deerslayer and the lad, a 
different scene took place in the adjoining room. Hetty had 
inquired for the Delaware, and being told why and where he 
remained concealed, she joined him. The reception which 
Chingachgook gave his visitor was respectful and gentle. 
He understood her character ; and, no doubt, his disposition 
to be kind to such a being was increased by the hope of learn- 
ing some tidings of his betrothed. As soon as the girl entered, 
she took a seat and invited the Indian to place himself near 
her; then she continued silent, as if she thought it decorous 
for him to question her, before she consented to speak on the 
subject she had on her mind. But, as Chingachgook did not 
understand this feeling, he remained respectfully attentive to 
anything she might be pleased to tell him. 

“You are Chingachgook — the Great Serpent of the Dela- 
wares, are n’t you ? ” the girl at length commenced, in her own 
simple way, losing her self-command in the desire to proceed, 
but anxious first to make sure of the individual. 

“ Chingachgook,” returned the Delaware, with grave dignity. 
“ They say Great Serpent in Deerslayer tongue.” 

“Well, that is my tongue. Deerslayer, and father, and 
Judith, and I, and poor Hurry Harry — do you know Henry 
March, Great Serpent? I know you don’t, however, or he 
would have spoken of you, too.” 


24G 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Did any tongue name Chingacligook, Drooping Lily ? ” for 
so the chief had named poor Hetty. “Was his name sung by 
a little bird among the Iroquois ? ” 

Hetty did not answer at first ; but with that indescribable 
feeling that awakens sympathy and intelligence among the 
youthful and unpractised of her sex, she hung her head, and 
the blood suffused her cheek ere she found her tongue. It 
would have exceeded her stock of intelligence to explain this 
embarrassment ; but though poor Hetty could not reason on 
every emergency, she could always feel. The color slowly 
receded from her cheek, and the girl looked up archly at the 
Indian, smiling with the innocence of a child, mingled with the 
interest of a woman. 

“ My sister, the Drooping Lily, hear such bird ! ” Chingach- 
gook added, and this with a gentleness of tone and manner 
that would have astonished those who sometimes heard the 
discordant cries that often came from the same throat ; these, 
transitions from the harsh and guttural to the soft and melodi- 
ous not being infrequent in ordinary Indian dialogues. “ My 
sister’s ears were open — has she lost her tongue ? ” 

“You are Chingachgook — you must be ; for there is no other 
redman here, and she thought Chingachgook would come.” 

“ Chin-gach-gook,” pronouncing the name slowly, and dwell- 
ing on each syllable ; “ Great Serpent, Yengeese ^ tongue.” 

1 It is singular there should be any question concerning the origin of 
the well-known sobriquet of “Yankees.” Nearly all the old writers 
who speak of the Indians first known to the colonists make them pro- 
nounce the word “English” as “Yengeese.” Even at this day, it is 
a provincialism of New England to say “E'nglish ” instead of “/ng- 
lish,” and there is a close conformity of sound between “ i^nglish ” and 
“Yengeese,” more especially if the latter word, as was probably the 
case, be pronounced short. The transition from “ Yengeese,” thus 
pronounced, to “ Yankees ” is quite easy. If the former is pronounced 
“Yangis,” it is almost identical with “Yankees,” and Indian words 
have seldom been spelt as they are pronounced. Thus the scene of 
this tale is spelt “ Ot.sego,” and is properly pronounced “ Otsego.” 
The liquids of the Indians would easily convert “ En ” into “ Yen.” 


THE DEKBSLAYER 


247 


“ Chin-gach-gook/’ repeated Hetty, in the same deliberate 
manner. “Yes, so Hist called it, and you must be the chief.” 
“ Wah-ta-Wah,” added the Delaware. 

“ Wah-ta-Wah, or Hist-oh-Hist. I think Hist prettier than 
Wah, and so I call her Hist.” 

“ Wah very sweet in Delaware ears ! ” 

“You make it sound differently from me. But never mind ; 
I did hear the bird you speak of sing. Great Serpent.” 

“ Will my sister say words of song ? What she sing most 

— how she look — often she laugh 'I ” 

“ She sang Chin-gach-gook oftener than anything else ; and 
she laughed heartily when I told how the Iroquois waded 
into the water after us, and could n’t catch us. I hope these 
logs have n’t ears. Serpent ! ” 

“No fear logs ; fear sister next room. No fear Iroquois ; 
Deerslayer stuff his eyes and ears with strange beast.” 

“ I understand you. Serpent, and I understood Hist. Some- 
times I think I ’m not half as feeble-minded as they say I am. 
Now, do you look up at the roof, and I ’ll tell you all. But 
you frighten me, you look so eager when I speak of Hist.” 

The Indian controlled his looks, and affected to comply with 
the simple request of the girl. 

“ Hist told me to say, in a very low voice, that you must n’t 
trust the Iroquois in anything. They are more artful than any 
Indians she knows. Then she says that there is a large bright 
star that comes over the hill, about an hour after dark,” — 
Hist had pointed out the planet Jupiter, without knowing it 

— “ and just as that star comes in sight, she will be on the 
point where I landed last night, and that you must come for 
her, in a canoe.” 

“ Good ! Chingachgook understand well enough now, but 
he understand better if my sister sing to him ag’in. ’ 

Hetty repeated her words, more fully explaining what star 
was meant, and mentioning tlie part of the point where he was 


248 


THE DEERSLAYER 


to venture ashore. She now proceeded in her own unsophisti- 
cated way to relate her intercourse with the Indian maid, and 
to repeat several of her expressions and opinions that gave 
great delight to the heart of her betrothed. She particularly 
renewed her injunctions to be on their guard against treachery ; 
a warning that was scarcely needed, however, as addressed to 
men as wary as those to whom it was sent. She also explained, 
with sufficient clearness — for on all such subjects the mind of 
the girl seldom failed her — the present state of the enemy, and 
the movements they had made since morning. Hist had been 
on the raft with her, until it quitted the shore ; and was now 
somewhere in the woods, opposite to the castle, and did not 
intend to return to the camp until night approached ; when 
she hoped to be able to slip away from her companions, as they 
followed the shore on their way home, and conceal herself on 
the point. No one appeared to suspect the presence of Chin- 
gachgook, though it was necessarily known that an Indian had 
entered the ark the previous night, and it was suspected that 
he had since appeared in and about the castle, in the dress of 
a pale-face. Still, some little doubt existed on the latter point, 
for as this was the season when white men might be expected 
to arrive, there was some fear that the garrison of the castle 
was increasing by these ordinary means. All this had Hist 
communicated to Hetty while the Indians were dragging them 
along shore ; the distance, which exceeded six miles, affording 
abundance of time. 

“ Hist don’t know, herself, whether they suspect her or not, 
or whether they suspect you, but slap hopes neither is the case. 
And now. Serpent, since I have told you so much from your 
l^etrothed,” continued Hetty, unconsciously taking one of the 
Indian’s hands, and playing with the fingers, as a child is often 
seen to play with those of a parent, “ you must let me tell you 
something from myself. When you marry Hist, you must be 
kind to her, and smile on her, as you do now on me ; and not 


THE DEERSLAYER 


249 


look cross, as some of the chiefs do at their squaws. Will you 
promise this ? ” 

“Always good to Wah ! — too tender to twist hard; else 
she break.” 

“Yes, and smile, too ; you don’t know how much a girl 
craves smiles from them she loves. Father scarce smiled on 
me once, while I was with him — and. Hurry — yes — Hurry 
talked loud, and laughed; but I don’t think he smiled once, 
either. You know the difference between a smile and a 
laugh?” 

“ Laugh, best. Hear Wah laugh, think bird sing ! ” 

“ I know that ; her laugh is pleasant, but you must smile. 
And then. Serpent, you must n’t make her carry burdens and 
hoe corn, as so many Indians do ; but treat her more as the 
pale-faces treat their wives.” 

“Wah-ta-Wah no pale-face — got red skin; red heart, red 
feelin’s. All red ; no pale-face. Must carry papoose.” 

“ Every woman is willing to cany her child,” said Hetty, 
smiling ; “ and there is no harm in that. But you must love 
Hist, and be gentle and good to her ; for she is gentle and good 
herself.” 

Chingachgook gi'avely bowed, and then he seemed to think 
tliis part of the subject might be dismissed. Before there was 
time for Hetty to resume her communications, the voice of 
DeerSlayer was heard calling on his friend, in the outer room. 
At this summons the Serpent arose to obey, and Hetty joined 
her sister. 


250 


THE DEERSLAYER 


CHAPTER XIV 

“ ‘ A stranger animal,’ cries one, 

‘ Sure never lived beneath the sun ; 

A lizard’s body, lean and long, 

A fish’s head, a serpent’s tongue. 

Its foot, with triple claw disjoined ; 

And what a length of tail behind ! ’ ” 

Merrick. 

The first act of the Delaware, on rejoining his friend, was 
to proceed gravely to disencumber himself of his civilized 
attire, and to stand forth an Indian warrior again. The pro- 
test of Deerslayer was met by his communicating the fact that 
the presence of an Indian in the hut was known to the Iro- 
quois, and that his maintaining the disguise would be more 
likely to direct suspicions to his real object, than if he came 
out openly as a member of a hostile tribe. When the latter 
understood the truth, and was told that he had been deceived 
in supposing the chief had succeeded in entering the ark undis- 
covered, he cheerfully consented to the change, since further 
attempt at concealment was useless. A gentler feeling than 
the one avowed, however, lay at the bottom of the Indian’s 
desire to appear as a son of the forest. He had been told that 
Hist was on the opposite shore ; and nature so far triumphed 
over all distinctions of habit, and tribes, and people, a's to 
reduce this young savage warrior to the level of a feeling which 
would have been found in the most refined inhabitant of a 
town, under similar circumstances. There was a mild satis- 
faction in believing that she he loved could see him ; and as he 
walked out on the platfoi'in in his scanty native attire, an 
Apollo of the wilderness, a hundred of the tender fancies that 
fleet through lovers’ brains beset his imagination and softened 
his heart. 

All this was lost on Deerslayer, who was no great adept in 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


251 


the mysteries of Cupid, but whose mind was far more 
occupied with the concerns that forced themselves on his 
attention, than with any of the truant fancies of love. He 
soon recalled his companion, therefore, to a sense of their 
actual condition, by summoning him to a sort of council of 
war, in which they were to settle their future course. In the 
dialogue that followed, the parties mutually made each other 
acquainted with what had passed in their several interviews. 
Chingachgook was told the history of the treaty about the 
ransom ; and Deerslayer heard the whole of Hetty’s communi- 
cations. The latter listened with generous interest to his 
friend’s hopes, and promised cheerfully all the assistance he 
could lend. 

“ ’T is our main arr’nd, Sarpent, as you know ; this battling 
for the castlq, and old Hutter’s darters, coming in as a sort of 
accident. Yes — yes — I’ll be active in helping little Hist, 
who ’s not only one of the best and handsomest maidens of the 
tribe, but the very best and handsomest. I ’ve always en- 
couraged you, chief, in that liking ; and it ’s proper, too, that 
a great and ancient race like your’n should n’t come to an end. 
If a woman of red skin and red gifts could get to be near 
enough to me to wish her for a wife, I ’d s’arch for just such 
another, but that can never be ; no, that can never be. I ’m 
glad Hetty has met with Hist, howsever, for though the first 
is a little short of wit and understanding, the last has enough 
for both. Yes, Sarpent,” laughing heartily, “put ’em together, 
and two smarter gals is n’t to be found in all York colony ! ” 

“I will go to the Iroquois camp,” returned the Delaware, 
gravely. “No one knows Chingachgook but Wah, and a 
treaty for lives and scalps should be made by a chief! Give 
me the strange beasts, and let me take a canoe.” 

Deerslayer dropped his head, and played with the end of a 
fish-pole in the water, as he sat, dangling his legs over the 
edge of the platform, like a man who was lost in thought by 


252 


THE DEERSLAYER 


the sudden occurrence of a novel idea. Instead of directly 
answering the proposal of his friend, he began to soliloquize ; 
a circumstance, however, that in no manner rendered his words 
more tme, as he was remarkable for saying what he thought, 
whether the remarks were addressed to himself or to any 
one else. 

“Yes — yes,” he said, “this must be what they call love ! 
I Ve heard say that it sometimes upsets reason altogether, 
leaving a young man as helpless, as to calculation and caution, 
as a brute beast. To think that the Sarpent should be so 
lost to reason, and cunning, and wisdom ! We must sartainly 
manage to get Hist off, and have ’em married as soon as we 
get back to the tribe, or this war will be of no more use to 
the chief than a hunt a little oncommon and extr’ornary. 
Yes — yes — he’ll never be the man he was till this matter is 
off his mind, and he comes to his senses, like all the rest of 
mankind. Sarpent, you can’t be in airnest, and therefore I 
shall say but little to your offer. But you ’re a chief, and will 
soon be sent out on the war-path at the head of parties, and 
I ’ll just ask if you ’d think of putting your forces into the 
inimy’s hands, afore the battle is fou’t ? ” 

“ Wah ! ” ejaculated the Indian. 

“Ay — Wah! — I know well enough it’s Wah I and al- 
together Wah ! Ra’ally, Sarpent, I ’m consarned and mortified 
about you I I never heard so weak an idea come from a chief, 
and he, too, one that’s already got a name for being wise, 
young and inexper’enced as he is. Canoe you shan’t have, so 
long as the v’ice of fri’ndship and warning can count for any- 
thing.” 

“ My pale-faced friend is right. A cloud came over the 
face of Chingachgook, and weakness got into his mind, while 
his eyes were dim. My brother has a good memory for good 
deeds, and a weak memory for bad. He will forget.” 

“Yes, that’s easy enough. Say no more about it, chief; 


THE DEERSLA YER 


253 


l)iit if tiiioth.Gr of tliGiii clouds blow iiGar you, do your Giidivor 
to get out of its way. Clouds are bad enough in the weather ; 
but when they come to the reason it gets to be serious. Now, 
sit down by me here, and let us calculate our movements a 
little, for we shall soon either have a tmce and a peace, or we 
shall come to an active and bloody war. You see the vaga- 
bonds can make logs sarve their turn, as well as the best rafts- 
man on the rivers, and it would be no great expFite for them 
to invade us in a body. I Ve been thinking of the wisdom of 
putting all old Tom’s stores into the ark, of barring and lock- 
ing up the castle, and of taking to the ark altogether. That 
is movable, and by keeping the sail up, and shifting places, 
we might woiTy through a great many nights, without them 
Canada wolves finding a way into our sheep-fold.” 

Chingachgook listened to this plan with approbation. Did 
the negotiation fail there was now httle hope that the night 
would pass without an assault; and the enemy had sagacity 
enough to understand, that, in carrying the castle, they woidd 
probably become masters of all it contained, the ottered ransom 
included, and still retain the advantages they had hitherto 
gained. Some precaution of the sort appeared to be absolutely 
necessary; for now the numbers of the Iroquois were known, 
a night attack could scarcely be successfully met. It would 
be impossible to prevent the enemy from getting possession of 
the canoes and the ark, and the latter itself would be a hold 
in which the assailants would be as effectually protected 
against bullets as were those in the building. For a few 
minutes both men thought of sinking the ark in the shallow 
water, of bringing the canoes into the house, and of depending 
altogether on the castle for protection. But reflection satisfied 
them that, in the end, this expedient would fail. It was so 
easy to collect logs on the shore, and to construct a raft of 
almost any size, that it was certain the Iroquois, now they 
had turned their attention to such means, would resort to them 


254 


THE DEERSLAYER 


seriously, so long as there was the certainty of success by per- 
severance. After deliberating maturely, and placing all the 
considerations fairly before them, the two young beginners in 
the art of forest warfare settled down into the opinion that 
the ark offered the only available means of security. This 
decision was no sooner come to, than it w^as communicated to 
Judith. The girl had no serious objection to make, and all 
four set about the measures necessary to carrying the plan into 
execution. 

The reader will readily understand that Floating Tom’s 
worldly goods were of no great amount. A couple of beds, 
some wearing apparel, the arms and ammunition, a few cook- 
ing utensils, with the mysterious but half-examined chest, 
formed the principal items. These were all soon removed, 
the ark having been hauled on the eastern side of the building, 
so that the transfer could be made without being seen from 
the shore. It was thought unnecessary to disturb the heavier 
and coarser articles of furniture, as they were not required in the 
ark, and were of but little value in themselves. As great cau- 
tion was necessary in removing the different objects, most of 
which were passed out of a window with a view to conceal 
what was going on, it required two or three hours before all 
could be effected. By the expiration of that time the raft 
made its appearance, moving from the shore. Deerslayer 
immediately had recourse to the glass, by the aid of which he 
perceived that two warriors were on it, though they appeared 
to be unarmed. The progress of the raft was slow, a circum- 
stance that formed one of the great advantages that would be 
possessed by the scow in any future collision between them, 
the movements of the latter being comparatively swift and 
light. As there was time to make the dispositions for the re- 
ception of the two dangerous visitors, everything was prepared 
for them, long before they had got near enough to be hailed. 
The Serpent and the girls retired into the building, where the 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


255 


former stood near the door, well provided with rifles ; while 
Judith watched the proceedings without through a loop. As 
for Deerslayer, he had brought a stool to the edge of the plat- 
form, at the point towards which the raft was advancing, and 
taken his seat, with his rifle leaning carelessly between his legs. 

As the raft drew nearer, every means possessed by the party 
in the castle was resorted to, in order to ascertain if their 
visitors had any fire-arms. Neither Deerslayer nor Chingach- 
gook could discover any; but Judith, unwilling to trust to 
simple eye-sight, thrust the glass through the loop, and di- 
rected it towards the hemlock boughs that lay between the 
two logs of the raft, forming a sort of flooring, as well as a 
seat for the use of the rowers. When the heavy-moving craft 
was within fifty feet of him, Deerslayer hailed the Hurons, 
directing them to cease rowing, it not being his intention to 
permit them to land. Compliance, of course, was necessary, 
and the two grim-looking warriors instantly quitted their 
seats, though the raft continued slowly to approach, until it 
had driven in much nearer to the platform. 

“ Are ye chiefs 1 ” demanded Deerslayer, with dignity. 
“ Are ye chiefs ? — or have the Mingos sent me warriors with- 
out names, on such an arr’nd ? If so, the sooner ye go back, 
the sooner the one will be likely to come that a warrior can 
talk with.” 

“ Hugh ! ” exclaimed the elder of the two on the raft, roll- 
ing his glowing eyes over the different objects that were visible 
in and about the castle, with a keenness that showed how little 
escaped him. “ My brother is very proud, but Rivenoak (we 
use the literal translation of the term, writing as we do in 
English) is a name to make a Delaware turn pale.” 

That ’s true, or it ’s a lie, Rivenoak, as it may be ; but I 
am not likely to turn pale, seeing that I was born pale. 
What ’s your arf’nd, and why do you come among light bark 
canoe§ on logs that are not even dug out ? ” 


256 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ The Iroquois are not ducks, to walk on water ! Let the 
pale-faces give them a canoe, and they ’ll come in a canoe.” 

“That’s more rational, than likely to come to pass. We 
have but four canoes, and being four persons, that ’s only one 
for each of us. We thank you for the offer, howsever, though 
we ask leave not to accept it. You are welcome, Iroquois, on 
your logs ! ” 

“ Thanks — my young pale-face warrior — he has got a 
name — how do the chiefs call him h ” 

Deerslayer hesitated a moment, and a gleam of pride and 
human weakness came over him. He smiled, muttered be- 
tween his teeth, and then looking up proudly, he said, — 

“Mingo, like all who are young and actyve, I’ve been 
known by different names, at different times. One of your 
warriors whose spirit started for the happy-grounds of your 
people as lately as yesterday morning, thought I desarved to 
be known by the name of Hawkeye ; and this because my 
sight happened to be quicker than his own, when it got to 
be life or death atween us.” 

Chingachgook, who was attentively listening to all that 
passed, heard and understood this proof of passing weakness 
in his friend, and on a future occasion he questioned him more 
closely concerning the transaction on the point where Deer- 
slayer had first taken human life. When he had got the 
whole truth, he did not fail to communicate it to the tribe, 
from which time the young hunter was universally known 
among the Delawares by an appellation so honorably earned. 
As this, however, was a period posterior to all the incidents of 
this tale, we shall continue to call the young hunter by the 
name under which he has been first introduced to the reader. 
Nor was the Iroquois less struck with the vaunt of the white 
man. He knew of the death of his comrade, and had no 
difficulty in understanding the allusion ; the intercourse be- 
tween the conqueror and his victim on that occasion having 


THE DEERSLAYER 


257 


been seen by several savages on the shore of the lake, who 
had been stationed at different points just within the margin 
of the bushes, to watch the drifting canoes, and who had jiv>t 
time to reach the scene of action ere the victor had retired. 
The effect on this rude being of the forest was an exclamation 
of surprise; then such a smile of courtesy and wave of the 
hand succeeded, as would have done credit to Asiatic diplomacy. 
The two Iroquois spoke to each other in low terms, and both 
drew near the end of the raft that was closest to the platfonn. 

“ My brother, Hawkeye, has sent a message to the Hurons,” 
resumed Rivenoak, “ and it has made their hearts very glad. 
They hear he has images of beasts with two tails ! Will he 
show them to his friends ? ” 

“ Inimies would be truer,” returned Deerslayer ; “ but 
sound is n’t sense, and does little harm. Here is one of the 
images ; I toss it to you under faith of treaties. If it ’s not 
returned, the rifle will settle the p’int at ween us.” 

The Iroquois seemed to acquiesce in the conditions, and 
Deerslayer arose and prepared to toss one of the elephants to 
the raft, both parties using all the precaution that was neces- 
sary to prevent its loss. As practice renders men expert in 
such things, the little piece of ivory was soon successfully 
transferred from one hand to the other ; and then followed 
another scene on the raft, in which astonishment and delight 
got the mastery of Indian stoicism. These two grim old 
warriors manifested even more feeling, as they examined tlie 
curiously-wrought chessman, than had been betrayed by the 
boy ; for, in the case of the latter, recent schooling had inter- 
posed its influence ; while the men, like all who are sustained 
by well-established characters, were not ashamed to let some 
of their emotions be disco veiled. For a few minutes they 
apparently lost the consciousness of their wtuation in the 
intense scrutiny they bestowed on a material so fine, work so 
highly wrought, and an animal so extraordinary. The lip of 


258 


THE DEE RSI AYER 


the moose is, perhaps, the nearest approach to the trunk of 
the elephant that is to be found in the American forest ; but 
this resemblance was far from being sufficiently striking to 
bring the new creature within the range of their habits and 
ideas, and the more they studied the image, the greater was 
their astonishment. Nor did these children of the forest 
mistake the structure on the back of the elephant for a part 
of the animal. They were familiar with horses and oxen, and 
had seen towers in the Canadas, and found nothing surprising 
in creatures of burden. Still, by a very natural association, 
they supposed the carving meant to represent that the animal 
they saw was of a strength sufficient to carry a fort on its 
back ; a circumstance that in no degree lessened their wonder. 

“ Has my pale-face brother any more such beasts ? ” at last 
the senior of the Iroquois asked, in a sort of petitioning manner. 

“ There ’s more where them came from, Mingo,” was the 
answer ; “ one is enough, however, to buy off fifty scalps.” 

“ One of my prisoners is a gi'eat warrior — tall as a pine — 
strong as the moose — active as a deer — fierce as the panther. 
Some day he ’ll be a great chief, and lead the army of King 
George ! ” 

“ Tut — tut — Mingo ; Harry Hurry is Harry Hurry, and 
you ’ll never make more than a corporal of him, if you do that. 
He ’s tall enough, of a sartainty ; but that' ’s of no use, as he only 
hits his head ag’in the branches as he goes through the forest. 
He ’s strong, too ; but a strong body is n’t a strong head, and 
the King’s generals are not chosen for their sinews. He’s 
swift, if you will, but a ride bullet is swifter; and as for 
f’erceness, it’s no great ricommend to a soldier; they that 
think they feel the stoutest, often givin’ out at the pinch. No 
— no — you ’ll never make Hurry’s scalp pass for more than a 
good head of curly hair, and a rattlepate beneath it ! ” 

“My old prisoner very wise — king of the lake — great 
warrior, wise counsellor ! ” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


259 


“Well, there’s them that might gainsay all this, too, Mingo. 
A very wise man would n’t be apt to be taken in so foolish a 
manner as befell Master flutter ; and if he gives good counsel, 
he must have listened to very bad in that affair. There ’s only 
one king of this lake, and he ’s a long way off, and is n’t likely 
ever to see it. Floating Tom is some such king of this region, 
as the wolf that prowls through the woods is king of the 
forest. A beast with two tails is well worth two such 
scalps ! ” 

“But my brother has another beast. He will give two,” 
holding up as many fingers, “ for old father.” 

“ Floating Tom is no father of mine, but he ’ll fare none the 
worse for that. As for giving two beasts for his scalp, and 
each beast with two tails, it is quite beyond reason. Think 
yourself well off, Mingo, if you make a much worse trade.” 

By this time the self-command of Kivenoak had got the bet- 
ter of his wonder, and he began to fall back on his usual habits 
of cunning, in order to drive the best bargain he could. It 
w^ould be useless to relate more than the substance of the 
desultory dialogue that followed, in w'hich the Indian mani- 
fested no little management, in endeavoring to recover the 
ground lost under the inffuence of surprise. He even affected 
to doubt w^hether any original for the image of the beast existed, 
and asserted that the oldest Indian had never heard a tradi- 
tion of any such animal. Little did either of them imagine at 
the time that long ere a century elapsed, the progress of civ- 
ilization would bring even much more extraordinary and rare 
animals into that region, as curiosities to be gazed at by the 
curious, and that the particular beast about which the dis- 
putants contended would be seen laving its sides and swimming 
in the very sheet of water on which they had met.^ As is not 

1 The Otsego is a favorite place for the caravan keepers to let 
their elephants bathe. The writer has seen two at a time, since the 
publication of this book, swimming about in company. 


260 


THE HEERSLAYER 


uncommon on such occasions, one of the parties got a little 
warm in the course of the discussion ; for Deerslayer met all 
the arguments and prevarications of this subtle opponent with 
his own cool directness of manner and unmoved love of truth. 
What an elephant was he knew little better than the savage ; 
but he perfectly understood that the carved pieces of ivory 
must have some such value in the eyes of an Iroquois as a bag 
of gold, or a package of beaver-skins, would in those of a trader. 
Under the circumstances, therefore, he felt it to be prudent 
not to concede too much at first, since there existed a nearly 
unconquerable obstacle to making the transfers, even after 
the contracting parties had actually agreed upon the ^ terms. 
Keeping this difficulty in view, he held the extra chessmen in 
reserve as a means of smoothing any difficulty in the moment 
of need. 

At length the savage pretended that further negotiation was 
useless, since he could not be so unjust to his tribe as to part 
with the honor and emoluments of two excellent, full-grown 
male scalps, for a consideration so trifling as a toy like that he 
had seen — and he prepared to take his departure. Both 
parties now felt as men are wont to feel, when a bargain that 
each is anxious to conclude, is on the eve of being broken off 
in consequence of too much pertinacity in the way of manage- 
ment. The effect of the disappointment was very different, 
however, on the respective individuals. Deerslayer was morti- 
fied, and filled with regret ; for he not only felt for the pris- 
oners, but he also felt deeply for the two girls. The conclusion 
of the treaty, therefore, left him melancholy and full of regret. 
With the savage, his defeat produced the desire of revenge. In 
a moment of excitement, he loudly announced his intention to 
say no more ; and he felt equally enraged with himself and with 
his cool opponent, that he had permitted a pale-face to mani- 
fest more indifference and self-command than an Indian chief. 
When he began to urge his raft away from the platform, his 


THE DEERSLAYER 261 

countenance lowered, and his eye glowed even while he affected 
a smile of amity and a gesture of courtesy, at parting. 

It took some little time to overcome the vis inertice of the 
logs, and while this was doing by the silent Indian, Rivenoak 
stalked over the hemlock boughs that lay between the logs, in 
sullen ferocity, eying keenly, the while, the hut the platform, 
and the person of his late disputant. Once he spoke in low, 
quick terms to his companion, and he stirred the boughs with 
his feet, like an animal that is restive. At that moment the 
watchfulness of Deerslayer had a little abated, for he sat mus- 
ing on the means of renewing the negotiation without giving 
too much advantage to the other side. It was, perhaps, for- 
tunate for him that the keen and bright eyes of Judith were as 
vigilant as ever. At the instant when the young man was 
least on his guard, and his enemy was the most on the alert, 
she called out in a warning voice to the former, most oppor- 
tunely giving the alarm. 

“Be on your guard, Deerslayer ! ” the girl cried ; “I see 
rifles, with the glass, beneath the hemlock brush, and the Iro- 
quois is loosening them with his feet ! ” 

It would seem that the enemy had carried the artifices so 
far as to employ an agent who understood English. The pre- 
vious dialogue had taken place in his own language, but it was 
evident, by the sudden manner in which his feet ceased their 
treacherous occupation, and in which the countenance of Riven- 
oak changed from sullen ferocity to a smile of courtesy, that 
the call of the girl was understood. Signing to his companion 
to cease his efforts to set the logs in motion, he advanced to 
the end of the raft which was nearest to the platform, and 
spoke. 

“ Why should Rivenoak and his brother leave any cloud be- 
tween them ? ” he said. “ They are both wise, both brave, and 
both generous ; they ought to part friends. One beast shall 
be the price of one prisoner.” 


262 


TIIK BKERSLAYER 


“ And, Mingo,” answered the other, delighted to renew the 
negotiation on almost any terms, and determined to clench 
the bargain if possible by a little extra liberality, “ you ’ll see 
that a pale-face knows how to pay a full price, when he trades 
with an open heart and an open hand. Keep the beast that 
you had forgotten to give back to me, as you was about to 
start, and which I forgot to ask for, on account of consarn 
at parting in anger. Show it to your chiefs. When you bring 
us our fri’nds, two more shall be added to it — and ” — hesi- 
tating a moment in distrust of the expediency of so great a 
concession, then deciding in its favor — “and, if we see them 
afore the sun sets, we may find a fourth to make up an even 
number.” 

This settled the matter. Every gleam of discontent van- 
ished from the dark countenance of the Iroquois, and he smiled 
as graciously, if not as sweetly, as Judith Hutter herself. The 
piece already in his possession was again examined, and an 
ejaculation of pleasure showed how much he w^as pleased with 
this unexpected termination of the affair. In point of fact, 
both he and Deerslayer had momentarily forgotten what had 
become of the subject of their discussion, in the warmth of 
their feelings ; but such had not been tlie case with Rivenoak’s 
companion. This man retained the piece, and had fully made 
up his mind, were it claimed under such circumstances as to 
render its return necessary, to drop it in the lake, trusting to 
his being able to find it again at some future day. This des- 
perate expedient, however, was no longer necessary ; and, after 
repeating the terms of agreement, and professing to understand 
them, the two Indians finally took their departure, moving 
slowly towards the shore. 

“Can any faith be put in such wretches?” asked Judith, 
when she and Hetty had come out on the platform, and were 
standing at the side of Deerslayer watching the dull movement 
of the logs. “ Will they not rather keep the toy they have. 


THE IJEERSLA YER 


263 


and send us off some bloody proofs of their getting the better 
of us in cunning, by way of boasting ? I ’ve heard of acts as 
bad as this.” 

“No doubt, Judith; no manner of doubt, if it wasn’t for 
Indian natur’. But I ’m no judge of a redskin, if that two- 
tailed beast does n’t set the whole tribe in some such stir as a 
stick raises in a beehive ! Now, there’s the Sarpent ; a man 
with narves like flint, and no more cur’osity in everyday con- 
sarns than is befitting prudence. Why, he was so overcome 
with the sight of the creatur’, carved as it is in bone, that I 
felt ashamed for him ! That ’s just their gifts, however, and 
one can’t well quaiTel with a man for his gifts, when they are 
lawful. Chingachgook will soon get over his weakness, and 
remember that he ’s a chief, and that he comes of a great stock, 
and has a renowned name to support and uphold ; but, as for 
yonder scamps, there ’ll be no peace among ’em until they think 
they ’ve got possession of everything of the natur’ of that bit of 
carved bone that ’s to be found among Thomas Hutter’s stores ! ” 

“ They only know of the elephants, and can have no hopes 
about the other things.” 

“ That’s true, Judith ; still, covetousness is a craving feelin’. 
They ’ll say if the pale-faces have these curious beasts with two 
tails, who knows but they ’ve got some with three, or, for that 
matter, with four ! That ’s what the schoolmasters call nat’ral 
arithmetic, and ’t will be sartain to beset the feelin’s of sav- 
ages. They’ll never be easy till the truth is known.” 

“ Do you think, Deerslayer,” inquired Hetty, in her simple 
and innocent manner, “ that the Iroquois won’t let father and 
Hurry go ? I read to them several of the very best verses in 
the whole Bible, and you see what they have done already.” 

The hunter, as he always did, listened kindly and even 
affectionately to Hetty’s remarks ; then he mused a moment 
in silence. There was something like a flush on his cheek; 
as he answered after quite a minute had passed, — 


THE DEERSLAYER 


2CA 

“ I don’t know whether a white man ought to be ashamed, 
or not, to own he can’t read ; but such is my case, J udith. 
You are skilful, I find, in all such matters, while I have only 
studied the hand of God, as it is seen in the hills and the 
valleys, the mountain-tops, the streams, the forest, and the 
springs. Much I’arning may be got in this way, as well as 
out of books ; and yet, I sometimes think it is a white man’s 
gift to read ! When I hear from the mouths of the Moravians 
the words of which Hetty speaks, they raise a longing in my 
mind, and I think I will know how to read ’em myself ; but 
the game in summer, and the traditions, and lessons in war, 
and other matters, have always kept me behindhand.” 

“ ShMl I teach you, Deerslayer ?” asked Hetty, earnestly. 
“I’m weak-minded, they say, but I can read as well as Judith. 
It might save your life, to know how to read the Bible to the 
savages, and it will certainly save your soul ; for mother told 
me that, again and again ! ” 

“ Thankee, Hetty — yes, thankee, with all my heart. There 
are like to be too stirring times for much idleness ; but, after 
it ’s peace, and I come to see you ag’in on this lake, then I ’ll 
give myself up to it, as if ’t was pleasure and profit, in a single 
business. Perhaps I ought to be ashamed, Judith, that ’tis 
so ; but truth is truth. As for these Iroquois, ’t is n’t very 
likely they ’ll forget a beast with two tails, on account of a 
varse or two from the BTble. I rather expect they ’ll give up 
the prisoners, and trust to some sarcumveiition or other to get 
’em back ag’in, with us and all in the castle, and the ark in 
the bargain. Howsever, we must humor the vagabonds first, 
to get your father and Hurry out of their hands, and next, to 
keep the peace atween us until such times as the Sarpent there 
can make ouf' to get off his betrothed wife. If there’s any 
sudden outbreakin’ of anger and ferocity, the Indians will 
seed off all their women and children to the camp, at once ; 
whereas, by keeping ’em calm and trustful, we may manage 


THE DEEliSLAYER 


265 


to meet Hist at the spot she has mentioned. Rather than 
have the bargain fall through now, I ’d throw in half a dozen 
of them effigy bow-and-arrow men, such as we Ve in plenty in 
the chist.” 

Judith cheerfully assented, for she would have resigned even 
the flowered brocade, rather than not redeem her father and 
please Deerslayer. 

The prospects of success were now so encouraging as to 
raise the spirits of all in the castle, though a due watchfulness 
on the movements of the enemy was maintained. Hour passed 
after hour, notwithstanding, and the sun had once more be- 
gun to fall towards the summits of the western hills, and yet 
no signs were seen of the return of the raft. By dint of sweep- 
ing the shore with the glass, Deerslayer at length discovered a 
place in the dense and dark woods, where, he entertained no 
doubt, the Iroquois were assembled in considerable numbers. 
It was near the thicket whence the raft had issued, and a little 
rill that trickled into the lake announced the vicinity of a 
spring. Here, then, the savages were probably holding their 
consultation, and the decision was to be made that went to 
settle the question of life or death for the prisoners. There 
was one ground for hope in spite of the delay, however, that 
Deerslayer did not fail to place before his anxious companions. 
It was far more probable that the Indians had left their pris- 
oners in the camp, than that they had encumbered themselves, 
by causing them to follow through the woods, a party that 
was out on a merely temporary excursion. If such was the 
fact, it required considerable time to send a messenger the 
necessary distance, and to bring the two white men to the spot 
where they were to embark. Encouraged by these reflections, 
a new stock of patience was gathered, and the declension of the 
sun was viewed with less alarm. 

The result justifled Deerslayer’s conjecture. Not long before 
the sun had finally disappeared, the two logs were seen coming 


2GG 


THE DEE USE A YER 


out of the thicket again ; and, as it drew near, Judith an- 
nounced that her father and Hurry, both of them pinioned, lay 
on the bushes in the centre. As before, the Indians were row- 
ing. The latter seemed to be conscious that the lateness of 
the hour demanded unusual exertions, and contrary to the 
habits of their people, who are ever averse to toil, they labored 
hard at the rude substitutes for oars. In consequence of this 
diligence the raft occupied its old station in about half the 
time that had been taken in the previous visits. 

Even after the conditions were so w’ell understood, and mat- 
ters had proceeded so far, the actual transfer of the prisoners 
was not a duty to be executed without difficulty. The Iro- 
quois were compelled to place great reliance on the good faith 
of their foes, though it was reluctantly given, and was yielded 
to necessity rather than to confidence. As soon as Hutter 
and Hurry should be released the party in the castle num- 
bered two to one, as opposed to those on the raft, and escape 
by flight was out of the question, as the former had three 
bark canoes, to say nothing of the defences of the house and 
the ark. All this was understood by both parties, and it is 
jjrobable the arrangement never could have been completed, 
liad not the honest countenance and manner of Deerslayer 
wrought their usual effect on Rivenoak. 

“ My brother knows I put faith in /w'm,” said the latter as 
he advanced with Hutter, whose legs had been released to 
enable the old man to ascend to the platform. “ One scalp — 
one more beast.” 

“ Stop, Mingo,” interrupted the hunter, “ keep your pris- 
oner a moment. I have to go and seek the means of pay- 
ment.” 

This excuse, however, though true in part, was principally 
a fetch. Deerslayer left the platform, and entering the house, 
he directed Judith to collect all the arms, and to conceal them 
in her own room. He then spoke earnestly to the Delaware, 


THE DEKESLAYER 


207 


who stood on guard as before, near the entrance of the build- 
ing, put the three remaining castles in his pocket, and returned. 

“You are welcome back to your old abode. Master Hutter,” 
said Deerslayer, as he helped the other up on the platform, 
slyly passing into the hand of Rivenoak, at the same time, 
another of the castles. “You ’ll find your darters right glad to 
see you ; and here ’s Hetty come herself to say as much in her 
own behalf.” 

Here the hunter stopped speaking and broke -out into a 
hearty fit of his silent and pecidiar laughter. Hurry’s legs 
were just released, and he had been placed on his feet. So 
tightly had the ligatures been drawn, that the use of his limbs 
was not immediately recovered, and the young giant presented, 
in good sooth, a very helpless and a somewhat ludicrous pic- 
ture. It was this unusual spectacle, particularly the bewildered 
countenance, that excited the merriment of Deerslayer. 

“You look like a girdled pine in a clearin’, Harry Hurry, 
that is rocking in a gale,” said Deerslayer, checking his un- 
seasonable mirth, more from delicacy to the others than from 
any respect to the liberated captive. “I’m glad, howsever, to 
see that you have n’t had your hair dressed by any of the 
Iroquois barbers, in your late visit to their camp.” 

“ Harkee, Deerslayer,” returned the other, a little fiercely ; 
“ it will be prudent for you to deal less in mirth and more in 
friendship on this occasion. Act like a Christian, for once, 
and not like a laughing gal in a country school when the 
master’s back is turned, and just tell me whether there ’s any 
feet or not at the end of these legs of mine. I think I can 
see them, but as for feelin’, they might as well be down on 
the banks of the Mohawk, as where they seem to be.” 

“You’ve come off whole. Hurry, and that’s not a little,” 
answered the other, secretly passing to the Indian the re- 
mainder of the stipulated ransom, and making an earnest sign, 
at the same moment, for him to commence his retreat. 


268 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ You’ve come off whole, feet and all, and are only a little 
numb, from a tight fit of the withes. Natur ’ll soon set the 
blood in motion, and then you may begin to dance, to cele- 
brate what I call a most wonderful and unexpected deliverance 
from a den of wolves.” 

Deerslayer released the arms of his friends, as each landed, 
and the two were now stamping and limping about on the 
platform, growling, and uttering denunciations, as they en- 
deavored to help the returning circulation. They had been 
tethered too long, however, to regain the use of their limbs 
in a moment ; and the Indians being quite as diligent on their 
return as on their advance, the raft was fully a hundred yards 
from the castle when Hurry, turning accidentally in that direc- 
tion, discovered how fast it was getting beyond the reach of 
his vengeance. By this time he could move with tolerable 
facility, though still numb and awkward. Without consider- 
ing his own situation, however, he seized the rifle that leaned 
against the shoulder of Deerslayer, and attempted to cock and 
present it. The young hunter was too quick for him. Seiz- 
ing the piece he wrenched it from the hands of the giant ; not, 
however, until it had gone off in the struggle, when pointed 
directly upwards. It is probable that Deerslayer could have 
prevailed in such a contest, on account of the condition of 
Hurry’s limbs ; but the instant the gun went off the latter 
yielded, and stumped towards the house, raising his legs at 
each step quite a foot from the ground, from an uncertainty of 
the actual position of his feet. But he had been anticipated 
by Judith. The whole stock of Hutter’s arms, which had 
been left in the building as a resource in the event of a sudden 
outbreaking of hostilities, had been removed, and were already 
secreted, agreeably to Deerslayer’s directions. In consequence 
of this precaution, no means offered by which March could put 
his designs in execution. 

Disappointed in his vengeance. Hurry seated himself, and 


THE DEERSLAYER 


269 


like Hutter, for half an hour, he was too much occupied in 
endeavoring to restore the circulation, and in regaining the use 
of his limbs, to indulge in any other reflections. By the end 
of this time the raft had disappeared, and night was beginning 
to throw her shadows once more over the whole sylvan scene. 
Before darkness had completely set in, and while the girls were 
preparing the evening meal, Deerslayer related to Hutter an 
outline of the events that had taken place, and gave him a 
history of the means he had adopted for the security of his 
children and property. 


CHAPTER XV 


“ As long as Edwarde rules thys lande, 

Ne quiet you wylle know ; 

Your sonnes and husbandes shall be slayne, 

And brookdS with bloode shall flowe.” 

“ You leave youre goode and lawfulle kynge, 

Whenne ynne adversitye ; 

Like me, untoe the true cause stycke, 

And for the true cause dye.” 

Chatterton. 

The calm of the evening was again in singular contrast, 
while its gathering gloom was in as singular unison with the 
passions of men. The sun was set, and the rays of the retir- 
ing luminary ceased to gild the edges of the few clouds that 
had sufficient openings to admit the passage of its fading light. 
The canopy overhead was heavy and dense, promising another 
night of darkness, but the surface of the lake was scarcely dis- 
turbed by a ripple. There was a little air, though it scarce 
deserved to be termed wind. Still, being damp and heavy, it 
had a certain force. The party in the castle were as gloomy 


270 


THE DEERSLAYER 


and silent as the scene. The two ransomed prisoners felt 
humbled and dishonored, but their humility partook of the 
rancor of revenge. They were far more disposed to remember 
the indignity with which they had been treated during the last 
few hours of their captivity than to feel grateful for the pre-' 
vious indulgence. Then that keen-sighted monitor, conscience, 
by reminding them of the retributive justice of all they had; 
endured, goaded them rather to turn the tables on their 
enemies than to accuse themselves. As for the others, they 
were thoughtful equally from regret and joy. Deerslayer and' 
Judith felt most of the former sensation, though from very 
different causes, while Hetty for the moment was perfectly 
happy. The Delaware had also lively pictures of felicity in' 
the prospect of so soon regaining his betrothed. Under such 
circumstances and in this mood, all were taking the evening 
meal. 

“ Old Tom ! ” cried Hurry, bursting into a fit of boisterous 
laughter, “ you looked amazin’ly like a tethered bear, as you 
was stretched on them hemlock boughs, and I only wonder you 
did n’t growl more. Well, it ’s over, and syth’s and lamentations 
won’t mend the matter ! There ’s the blackguard Rivenoak, he 
that brought us off, has an oncommon scalp, and I ’d give as 
much for it myself as the colony. Yes, I feel as rich as the 
governor, in these matters now, and will lay down with them 
doubloon for doubloon. Judith, darling, did you mourn for me 
much, when I was in the hands of the Philipsteins 

The last were a family of German descent on the Mohawk, 
to whom Hurry had a great antipathy, and whom he had con- 
founded with the enemies of Judea. 

“ Our tears have raised the lake, Harry March, as you might 
have seen by the shore ! ” returned Judith, with a feigned 
levity that she was far from feeling. “That Hetty and I 
should have grieved for father, was to be expected ; but we 
fairly rained tears for you.” 


THE DEERSLA YER 271 

“ We ivere sorry for poor Hurry, as well as for father, 
Judith ! ” put ill her innocent and unconscious sister. 

“ True, girl, true ; but we feel sorrow for everybody that ’s 
in trouble, you know,” returned the other, in a quick, admoni- 
tory manner, and a low tone. “ Nevertheless, we are glad to 
see you. Master March, and out of the hands of the Philipsteins, 
too.” 

“Yes, they ’re a bad set, and so is the other brood of ’em, 
down on the river. It ’s a wonderment to me how you got us 
off, Deerslayer; and I forgive you the interference that pre- 
vented my doin’ justice on that vagabond, for this small sar- 
vice. Let us into the secret, that we may do you the same 
good turn, at need. Was it by lying, or by coaxing?” 

“ By neither. Hurry, but by buying. We paid a ransom for 
you both, and that, too, at a price so high, you had well be on 
your guard ag’in another capt^/vement, lest our stock of goods 
shouldn’t hold out.” 

“ A ransom ! Old Tom has paid the fiddler, then, for noth- 
' ing of mine would have bought off the hair, much less the 
skin. I did n’t think men as keen set as them vagabonds would 
let a fellow up so easy, when they had him fairly at a close hug, 
and floored. But money is money, and somehow it ’s unnat’ral 
hard to withstand. Injin or white man, ’tis pretty much the 
same. It must be owned, Judith, there’s a considerable of 
human natur’ in mankind ginirally, arter all ! ” 

Hutter now rose, and signing to Deerslayer, he led him to 
an inner room, where, in answer to his questions, he first 
learned the price that had been paid for his release. The old 
man expressed neither resentment nor surprise at the inroad 
that had been made on his chest, though he did manifest some 
curiosity to know how far the investigation of its contents had 
been carried. He also inquired where the key had been found. 
The habitual frankness of Deerslayer prevented any prevarica- 
tion, and the conference soon terminated by the return of the 


272 


THE DEERSLAYER 


two to the outer room, or that which served for the double 
purpose of parlor and kitchen. 

“ I wonder if it ’s peace or war between us and the savages ! ” 
exclaimed Hurry, just as Deerslayer, who had paused for a 
single instant, listened attentively, and was passing through 
the outer door without stopping. “ This givin’ up captives 
has a friendly look, and when men have traded together, on a 
fair and honorable footing, they ought to part fri’nds, for that 
occasion, at least. Come back, Deerslayer, and let us have 
your judgment, for I hn beginning to think more of you, since 
your late behavior, than I used to do.” 

“ There ’s an answer to your question. Hurry, since you ’re in 
such haste to come ag’in to blow's.” 

As Deerslayer spoke, he threw on the table on which the 
other was reclining with one elbow, a sort of miniature 
fagot, composed of a dozen sticks bound tightly together with 
a deer-skin thong. March seized it eagerly, and holding it 
close to a blazing knot of pine that lay on the hearth, and 
w'hich gave out all the light there was in the room, ascer- 
tained that the ends of the several sticks had been dipped in 
blood. 

“ If this is n’t plain English,” said the reckless frontierman, 
“ it ’s plain Injin ! Here ’s what they call a dicliration of war, 
down at York, Judith. How did you come by this defiance, 
Deerslayer ? ” > 

“ Fairly enough. It lay, not a minut’ since, in what you 
call Floatin’ Tom’s door-yard.” 

“ How came it there? It never fell from the clouds, Judith, 
as little toads sometimes do, and then it don’t rain. You 
must prove where it come from, Deerslayer, or we shall sus- 
pect some design to skear them that would have lost their wits 
long ago, if fear could drive ’em aw'ay.” 

Deerslayer had approached a window, and cast a glance out 
of it on the dark aspect of the lake. As if satisfied with what 


! THE deerslayer 273 

' he beheld, he drew near Hurry and took the bundle of sticks 
I into his own hand, examining it attentively, 
i “Yes, this is an Indian declaration of war, sure enough,” 
^ he said, “ and it ’s a proof how little you ’re suited to be on the 
path it has travelled, Harry March, that it has got here, and 
you never the wiser as to the means. The savages may have 
left the scalp on your head, but they must have taken off the 
ears ; else you ’d have heard the stirring of the water made by 
the lad as he come off ag’in, on his two logs. His arr’nd was 
to throw these sticks at our door, as much as to say, we ’ve 
struck the war-post since the trade, and the next thing will 
be to strike yow.” 

“ The prowling wolves ! But hand me that rifle, Judith, 
and I ’ll send an answer back to the vagabonds through their 
messenger.” 

“ Not while I stand by. Master March,” coolly put in Deer- 
slayer, motioning for the other to forbear. “ Faith is faith, 
whether given to a redskin or to a Christian. The lad lighted 
a knot, and came off fairly, under its blaze, to give us this 
warning ; and no man here should harm him while empl’yed 
on such an arr’nd. There ’s no use in words, for the boy is too 
cunning to leave the knot burning, now his business is done, 
and the night is already too dark for a rifle to have any sar- 
tainty.” 

“ That may be true enough, as to a gun, but there ’s virtue 
still in a canoe,” answered Hurry, passing towards the door 
with enormous strides, carrying a rifle in his hands. “ The 
being does n’t live that shall stop me from following, and bring- 
ing back that riptyle’s scalp. The more on ’em that you crush in 
the egg, the fewer there ’ll be to dart at you in the woods ! ” 

Judith trembled like the aspen, she scarce knew why her- 
self, though there was the prospect of a scene of violence ; for, 
if Hurry was fierce and overbearing in the consciousness of his 
vast strength, Deerslayer had about him the calm determina- 

T 


274 


THE DEERSLAYER 


tion that promises greater perseverance, and a resolution more 
likely to effect its object. It was the stern, resolute eye of the 
latter, rather than the noisy vehemence of the first, that 
excited her apprehensions. Hurry soon reached the spot where 
the canoe was fastened, but not before Deerslayer had spoken 
in a quick, earnest voice to the Serpent, in Delaware. The 
latter had been the first, in truth, to hear the sounds of the 
oars, and he had gone upon the platform in jealous watchful- 
ness. The light satisfied him that a message was coming, and 
when the boy cast his bundle of sticks at his feet, it neither 
moved his anger nor induced surprise. He merely stood at 
watch, rifle in hand, to make certain that no treachery lay 
behind the defiance. As Deerslayer now called to him, lie 
stepped into the canoe, and quick as thought removed the 
paddles. Hurry was furious wdien he found that he was de- 
prived of the means of proceeding. He first approached the 
Indian with loud menaces, and even Deerslayer stood aghast 
at the probable consequences. March shook his sledge-ham- 
mer fists and fiourished his arms, as he drew near the Indian, 
and all expected he would attempt to fell the Delaware to the 
earth ; one of them, at least, was well aware that such an 
experiment would be followed by immediate bloodshed. But 
even Hurry was awed by the stern composure of the chief, and 
he, too, knew that such a man was not to be outraged with 
impunity ; he therefore turned to vent his rage on Deerslayer, 
w^here he foresaw no consequences so terrible. What might 
liave been the result of this second demonstration, if com- 
pleted, is unknowm, since it w^as never made. 

“ Hurry,” said a gentle, soothing voice at his elbow, “ it ’s 
wicked to be so angry, and God will not overlook it. The 
Iroquois treated you well, and they did n’t take your scalp, 
though you and father wanted to take theirs'^ 

The influence of mildness on passion is well knowm. Hetty, 
too, had earned a sort of consideration, that had never before 


THE DEERSLAYER 


275 


been enjoyed by her, through the self-devotion and decision 
of her recent conduct. Perhaps her established mental im- 
becility, by removing all distrust of a wish to control, aided 
her induence. Let the cause be as questionable as it might, 
the eftect was sufficiently certain. Instead of throttling his 
old fellow-traveller. Hurry turned to the girl, and poured out 
a portion of his discontent, if none of his anger, in her atten- 
tive ears. 

“ ’T is too bad, Hetty ! ” he exclaimed ; “ as bad as a county 
jail, or a lack of beaver, to get a creatur’ into your very trap, 
and then to see it get off. As much as six first quality skins, 
in valie, has paddled off on them clumsy logs, when twenty 
strokes of a well-turned paddle would overtake ’em. I say in 
valie, for as to the boy in the way of natur’, he is only a boy, 
and is worth neither more nor less than one. Deerslayer, 
you’ve been ontrue to your fri’nds in letting such a chance 
slip through my fingers as well as your own.” 

The answer was given quietly, but with a voice as steady 
as a fearless nature and the consciousness of rectitude could 
make it. “I should have been ontrue to the right, had I done 
otherwise,” returned the Deerslayer, steadily; “and neither 
you nor any other man has authority to demand that much of 
me. The lad came on a lawful business, and the meanest 
redskin that roams the woods would be ashamed of not re- 
specting his arr’nd. But he’s now far beyond your reach. 
Master March, and there ’s little use in talking, like a couple 
of women, of what can no longer be helped.” 

So saying, Deerslayer turned away, like one resolved to 
waste no more words on the subject, while Hutter pulled 
Harry by the sleeve, and led him into the ark. There they 
sat long in private conference. In the meantime, the Indian 
and his friend had their secret consultation ; for, though it 
wanted some three or four hours to the rising of the star, the 
former could not abstain from canvassing his scheme, and 


276 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


from opening his heart to the other. Judith, too, yielded to 
her softer feelings, and listened to the whole of Hetty’s art- 
less narrative of what occurred after she had landed. The 
woods had few terrors for either of these girls, educated as 
they had been, and accustomed as they were to look out daily 
at their rich expanse, or to wander beneath their dark shades ; 
but the elder sister felt that she would have hesitated about 
thus venturing alone into an Iroquois camp. Concerning 
Hist, Hetty was not very communicative. She spoke of her 
kindness and gentleness, and of the meeting in the forest ; 
but the secret of Chingachgook was guarded with a shrewd- 
ness and fidelity that many a sharper-witted girl might have 
failed to display. 

At length the several conferences were broken up by the 
reappearance of Hutter on the platform. Here he assembled 
the whole party, and communicated as much of his intentions 
as he deemed expedient. Of the arrangement made by Deer- 
slayer, to abandon the castle during the night, and to take 
refuge in the ark, he entirely approved. It struck him as it 
had the others, as the only effectual means of escaping destruc- 
tion. Now that the savages had turned their attention to 
the construction of rafts, no doubt could exist of their at least 
making an attempt to carry the building, and the message of 
the bloody sticks sufficiently showed their confidence in their 
own success. In short the old man viewed the night as criti- 
cal, and he called on all to get ready as soon as possible, in 
order to abandon the dwelling, temporarily at least, if not 
forever. 

These communications made, everything proceeded promptly, 
and with intelligence ; the castle was secured in the manner 
already described, the canoes were withdrawn from the dock 
and fastened to the ark by the side of the other ; the few 
necessaries that had been left in the house were transferred to 
the cabin, the fire was extinguished, and all embarked. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


277 


The vicinity of the hills, with their drapery of pines, had 
the effect to render nights that were obscure darker than com- 
mon on the lake. As usual, however, a belt of comparative 
light was stretched through the centre of the sheet, while it 
was within the shadows of the mountains that the gloom 
rested most heavily on the water. The island or castle stood 
in this belt of comparative light, but still the night was so 
dark as to cover the departure of the ark. At the distance of 
an observer on the shore, her movements could not be seen at 
all, more particularly as a background of dark hill-side filled 
up the perspective of every view that was taken diagonally or 
directly across the water. The prevalent Avind on the lakes 
of that region is west, but owing to the avenues formed by 
the mountains, it is frequently impossible to tell the true di- 
rection of the currents, as they often vaiy within short dis- 
tances, and brief differences of time. This is truer in light 
ffuctuating puffs of air than in steady breezes ; though the 
squalls of even the latter are familiarly known to be uncertain 
and baffling in all mountainous regions and narrow waters. 
On the present occasion, Hutter himself (as he shoved the ark 
from her berth at the side of the platform) was at a loss to 
pronounce which way the wind blew. In common, this diffi- 
culty was solved by the clouds, which, fioating high above 
the hill-tops, as a matter of course obeyed the currents ; but 
now the whole vault of heaven seemed a mass of gloomy Avail. 
Not an opening of any sort Avas visible, and Chingachgook 
was already trembling lest the non-appearance of the star 
might prevent his betrothed from being punctual to her 
appointment. Under these circumstances, Hutter hoisted his 
sail, seemingly with the sole intention of getting aAvay from the 
castle, as it might be dangerous to remain much longer in its 
vicinity. The air soon filled the cloth, and AAdien the scow 
Avas got under command, and the sail was properly trimmed, 
it was found that the directign Avas southerly, inclined towards 


278 


THE DEERSLAYER 


the eastern shore. No better course ottering for the purposes 
of the party, the singular craft was suffered to skim the sur- 
face of the water in this direction for more than an hour, when 
a change in the currents of the air drove them over towards 
the camp. 

Deerslayer watched all the movements of Hutter and Harry 
with jealous attention. At first he did not know whether to 
ascribe the course they held to accident or to design ; but he 
now began to suspect the latter. Familiar as Hutter was 
with the lake, it was easy to deceive one who had little prac- 
tice on the water ; and let his intentions he what they might, 
it was evident, ere two hours had elapsed, that the ark had 
got over sufficient space to be within a hundred rods of the 
shore, directly abreast of the known position of the camp. For 
a considerable time previously to reaching this point. Hurry, 
who had some knowledge of the Algonquin language, had been 
in close conference with the Indian, and the result was now 
announced by the latter to Deerslayer, who had been a cold, 
not to say distrusted looker-on of all that passed. 

“ My old father and my young brother, the Big Pine,” — 
for so the Delaware had named March, — “ want to see Huron 
scalps at their belts,” said Chingachgook to his friend. “ There 
is room for some on the girdle of the Serpent, and his people 
will look for them when he goes back to his village. Their 
eyes must not be left long in a fog, but they must see what they 
look for. I know that my brother has a white hand ; he will 
not strike even the dead. He will wait for us ; when we come 
back he will not hide his face from shame for his friend. The 
great Serpent of the Mohicans must be worthy to go on the 
war-path with Hawkeye.” 

“ Ay, ay, Sarpent, I see how it is ; that name’s to stick, and 
in time, I shall get to be known by it instead of Deerslayer ; 
well, if such honors will come, the humblest of us all must be 
willing to abide by ’em. As for you looking for scalps, it be- 


THE DEERSLAYER 


279 


longs to your gifts, and I see no harm in it. Be marciful, 
Sarpent, howsever ; he marciful, I he-seech of you. It surely 
can do no harm to a redskin’s honor to show a little niarcy. 
As for the old man, the father of two women, who might ripen 
better feelin’s in his heart, and Harry March here, who, pine 
as he is, might better bear the fruit of a more Christianized 
tree, as for them two, I leave them in the hands of the white 
man’s God. Wasn’t it for the bloody sticks, no man should 
go ag’in the Mingos this night, seein’ that it would dishonor 
our faith and characters ; but them that crave blood can’t 
complain if blood is shed at their call. Still, Sarpent, you 
can be marciful. Don’t begin your career with the wails of 
women and the cries of children. Bear yourself so that Hist 
will smile, and not weep, when she meets you. Go, then ; 
and the Manitou presarve you ! ” 

“ My brother will stay here with the scow. Wah will soon 
be standing on the shore waiting, and Chingachgook must 
hasten.” 

The Indian then joined his two co-adventurers, and first 
lowering the sail, they all three entered the canoe, and left the 
side of the ark. Neither Hutter nor March spoke to Deer- 
slayer concerning their object, or the probable length of their 
absence. All this had been confided to the Indian, who had 
acquitted himself of the trust with characteristic brevity. As 
soon as the canoe was out of sight, and that occurred ere the 
paddles had given a dozen strokes, Deerslayer made the best 
dispositions he could to keep the ark as nearly stationary as 
possible; and then he sat down in the end of the scow, to 
chew the cud of his own bitter reflections. It was not long, 
however, before he was joined by Judith, who sought every 
occasion to be near him, managing her attack on his afiections 
with the address that was suggested by native coquetry, aided 
by no little practice, but which received much of its most 
dangerous power from the touch of feeling that threw around 


280 


THE DEERSLAYER 


her manner, voice, accents, thoughts, and acts, the indescrib- 
able witchery of natural tenderness. Leaving the young 
hunter exposed to these dangerous assailants, it has become 
our more immediate business to follow the party in the canoe 
to the shore. 

The controlling influence that led Hutter and Hurry to 
repeat their experiment against the camp was precisely that 
which had induced the first attempt, a little heightened, per- 
haps, by the desire of revenge. But neither of these two rude 
beings, so ruthless in all things that touched the rights and 
interests of the redman, though possessing veins of human feel- 
ing on other matters, was much actuated by any other desire 
than a heartless longing for profit. Hurry had felt angered at 
his sufferings, when first liberated, it is true, but that emotion 
soon disappeared in 'the habitual love of gold, which he sought 
with the reckless avidity of a needy spendthrift, rather than 
with the ceaseless longings of a miser. In short, the motive 
that urged them both so soon to go against the Hurons, was 
an habitual contempt of their enemy, acting on the unceasing 
cupidity of prodigality. The additional chances of success, 
however, had their place in the formation of the second enter- 
prise. It was known that a large portion of the warriors — 
perhaps all — were encamped for the night abreast of the 
castle, and it was hoped that the scalps of helpless victims 
would be the consequence. To confess the truth, Hutter in 
particular — he who had just left two daughters behind him — 
expected to find few besides women and children in the camp. 
This fact had been but slightly alluded to in his communica- 
tions with Hurry, and with Chingachgook it had been kept 
entirely out of view. If the Indian thought of it at all, it was 
known only to himself. 

Hutter steered the canoe; Hurry had manfully taken his 
post in the bows, and Chingachgook stood in the centre. We 
say stood, for all three were so skilled in the management of 


THE DEERSLAYER 


281 


that species of frail bark, as to be able to keep erect positions 
in the midst of the darkness. The approach to the shore was 
made with great caution, and the landing effected in safety. 
The three now prepared their arms, and began their tiger-like 
approach upon the camp. The Indian was on the lead, his 
tw'o companions treading in his footsteps with a stealthy cau- 
tiousness of manner that rendered their progress almost literally 
noiseless. Occasionally a dried twig snapped under the heavy 
weight of the gigantic Hurry, or the blundering clumsiness of the 
old man j but, had the Indian w'alked on air, his step could not 
have seemed lighter. The great object was first to discover 
the position of the fire, which was known to be the centre of 
the whole encampment. At length the keen eye of Chingach- 
gook caught a glimpse of this important guide. It was glim- 
mering at a distance among the trunks of trees. There w^as 
no blaze, but merely a single smouldering brand, as suited the 
hour ; the savages usually retiring and rising with the revolu- 
tions of the sun. 

*As soon as a view was obtained of this beacon, the progress 
of the adventurers became swifter and more certain. In a few 
minutes they got to the edge of the circle of little huts. Here 
they stopped to survey their ground, and to concert their 
movements. The darkness w^as so deep as to render it difficult 
to distinguish anything but the glowing brand, the trunks of 
the nearest trees, and the endless canopy of leaves that veiled 
the clouded heaven. It was ascertained, however, that a hut 
was quite near, and Chingachgook attempted to reconnoitre its 
interior. The manner in which the Indian approached the 
place that was supposed to contain enemies, resembled the 
wily advances of the cat on the bird. As he drew near, he 
stooped to his hands and knees, for the entrance was so low 
as to require this attitude, even as a convenience. Before 
trusting his head inside, how^ever, he listened long to catch 
the breathing of sleepers. No sound was audible^ and this 


282 


THE DEERSLAYER 


human Serpent thrust his head in at the door, or opening, as 
another serpent would have peered in on the nest. Nothing 
rewarded the hazardous experiment ; for, after feeling cau- 
tiously with a hand, the place was found to be empty. 

The Delaware proceeded in the same guarded manner to 
one or two more of the huts, finding all in the same situation. 
He then returned to his companions, and informed them that 
the Hurons had deserted their camp. A little further inquiry 
corroborated this fact, and it only remained to return to the 
canoe. The difierent manner in which the adventurers bore 
the disappointment, is worthy of a passing remark. The 
chief, who had landed solely with the hope of acquiring re- 
nown, stood stationary, leaning against a tree, waiting the 
pleasure of his companions. He was mortified, and a little 
surprised, it is true ; but he bore all with dignity, falling 
back for support on the sweeter expectations that' still lay in 
reserve for that evening. It was true, he could not now hope 
to meet his mistress with the proofs of his daring and skill on 
his person, but he might still hope to meet her ; and the 
warrior, who was zealous in the search, might always hope to 
be honored. On the other hand, Hutter and Hurry, who had 
been chiefly instigated by the basest of all human motives, the 
thirst of gain, could scarce control their feelings. They went 
prowling among the huts, as if they expected to find some 
forgotten child or careless sleeper ; and again and again did 
they vent their spite on the insensible huts, several of which 
were actually torn to pieces, and scattered about the place. 
Nay, they even quarrelled with each other, and fierce re- 
proaches passed between them. It is possible some serious 
consequences might have occurred, had not the Delaware 
interfered to remind them of the danger of being so unguarded, 
and of the necessity of returning to the ark. This checked 
the dispute, and in a few minutes they were paddling sullenly 
back to the spot where they hoped to find that vessel. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


283 


It has been said that Judith took her place at the side of 
Deerslayer, soon after the adventurers departed. For a short 
time the girl was silent, and the hunter was ignorant which 
of the sisters had approached him ; but he soon recognized the 
rich, full-spirited voice of the elder, as her feelings escaped in 
words. 

“ This is a terrible life for women, Deerslayer ! ” she ex- 
claimed. “ Would to Heaven I could see an end of it ! ” 

“The life is well enough, Judith,” was the answer, “being 
pretty much as it is used or abused. What would you wish 
to see in its place 1 ” 

“ I should be a thousand times happier to live nearer to 
civilized beings — where there are farms and churches, and 
houses built as it might be by Christian hands ; and where 
my sleep at night would be sweet and tranquil ! A dwelling 
near one of the forts would be far better than this dreary place 
where we live ! ” 

“ Nay, Judith, I can’t agree too lightly in the truth of all 
this. If forts are good to keep off inimies, they sometimes 
hold inimies of their own. I don’t think ’t would be for your 
good, or the good of Hetty, to live near one ; and if I must 
say what I think, I ’m afeard you are a little too near as it 
is.” Deerslayer went on, in his own steady, earnest manner, 
for the darkness concealed the tints that colored the cheeks of 
the girl almost to the brightness of crimxson, while her own 
great efforts suppressed the sounds of the breathing that 
nearly choked her. “ As for farms, they have their uses, and 
there’s them that like to pass their lives on ’em; but what 
comfort can a man look for in a clearin’, that he can’t find in 
double quantities in the forest ? If air, and room, and light, 
are a little craved, the windrows and the streams will furnish 
’em, or here are the lakes for such as have bigger longings in 
that way ; but where are you to find your shades, and laugh- 
ing springs, and leaping brooks, and vinerable trees^ a t^ou- 


284 


THE DEERSLAYER 


sand years old, in a clearin’? You don’t find them, but you 
find their disabled trunks, marking the ’arth like headstones 
in a graveyard. It seems to me that the people who live in 
such places must be always thinkin’ of their own inds, and of 
universal decay ; and that, too, not of the decay that is brought 
about by time and natur’, but the decay that follows waste 
and violence. Then as to churches, they are good, I suppose, 
else wouldn’t good men uphold ’em. But they are not al- 
together necessary. They call ’em the temples of the Lord ; 
but, Judith, the whole ’arth is a temple of the Lord to such 
as have the right mind. Neither forts nor churches make 
people happier of themselves. Moreover, all is contradiction in 
the settlements, while all is concord in the woods. Forts and 
churches almost always go together, and yet they ’re downright 
contradictions ; churches being for peace, and forts for war. 
No, no — give me the strong places of the wilderness, which is 
the trees, and the churches, too, wLich are arbors raised by the 
hand of natur’.” 

“ Woman is not made for scenes like these, Deerslayer, 
scenes of which we shall have no end, as long as this war 
lasts.” 

“ If you mean women of white color, I rather think you ’re 
not far from the truth, gal ; but as for the females of the red- 
men, such visitations are quite in character. Nothing wmuld 
make Hist, now, the bargained wife of yonder Delaware, happier 
than to know that he is at this moment prowling around his 
nat’ral inimies, striving after a scalp.” 

“Surely, surely, Deerslayer, she cannot be a woman, and 
not feel concern when she thinks the man she loves is in 
danger ! ” 

“ She does n’t think of the danger, Judith, but of the honor ; 
and when the heart is desperately set on such feelin’s, why 
there is little room to crowd in fear. Hist is a kind, gentle, 
laughing, pleasant creatur’, but she loves honor, as well as any 


THE DEERSLAYER 


285 


Delaware gal I ever know’d. She ’s to meet the Sarpent an 
hour hence, on the p’int where Hetty landed, and no doubt she 
has her anxiety about it, like any other woman ; but she ’d be 
all the happier did she know that her lover was at this moment 
waylaying a Mingo for his scalp.” 

“ If you really believe this, Deerslayer, no wonder you lay 
so much stress on gifts. Certain am I, that no white girl 
could feel anything but misery while she believed her betrothed 
in danger of his life ! Nor do I suppose even you, unmoved 
and calm as you ever seem to be, could be at peace if you 
believed yoiir Hist in danger,” 

“ That ’s a difterent matter — ’t is altogether a different mat- 
ter, Judith. Woman is too weak and gentle to be intended to 
run such risks, and man must feel for her. Yes, I rather think 
that ’s as much red natur’ as it ’s white. But I have no Hist, 
nor am I like to have ; for I hold it wrong to mix colors, any 
'way except in friendship and sarvices.” 

“ In that you are and feel as a white man should ! As for 
Hurry Harry, I do think it would be all the same to him 
whether his wife were a squaw or a governor’s daughter, pro- 
vided she was a little comely, and could help to keep his crav- 
ing stomach full.” 

“You do March injustice, Judith; yes, you do. The poor 
fellow dotes on you, and when a man has ra’ally set his heart 
on such a creatur’ it is n’t a Mingo, or even a Delaware gal, 
that ’ll be likely to unsettle his mind. You may laugh at such 
men as Hurry and I, for we ’re rough and unteached in the ways 
of books and other knowledge ; but we ’ve our good p’ints, as well 
as our bad ones. An honest heart is not to be despised, gal, even 
though it be not varsed in all the niceties that please the female 
fancy.” 

“ You, Deerslayer ! And do you — can you, for an instant, 
suppose I place you by the side of Harry March? No, no. I 
am not so far gone in dulness as that. No one — man or 


286 


THE DEERSLAYER 


woman — could think of naming your honest heart, manly 
nature, and simple truth, with the boisterous selfishness, greedy 
avarice, and overbearing ferocity of Henry March. The very 
best that can be said of him, is to be found in his name, of 
Hurry Skurry, which, if it means no great harm, means no 
great good. Even my father, following his feelings with the 
other, as he is doing at this moment, well knows the difference 
between you. This I hnow^ for he has said as much to me, in 
plain language.” 

Judith was a girl of quick sensibilities and of impetuous 
feelings ; and, being under few of the restraints that curtail 
the manifestations of maiden emotions among those who are 
educated in the habits of civilized life, she sometimes betrayed 
the latter with a feeling that was so purely natural as to place 
it as far above the wiles of coquetry as it was superior to its 
heartlessness. She had now even taken one of the hard hands 
of the hunter and pressed it between both her own, with a 
warmth and earnestness that proved how sincere was her lan- 
guage. It was perhaps fortunate that she was checked by the j 
very excess of her feelings, since the same power might have 
urged her on to avow all that her father had said — the old 
man not having been satisfied with making a comparison favor- 
able to Deerslayer, as between the hunter and Hurry, but hav- 
ing actually, in his blunt, rough way, briefly advised his daughter 
to cast off the latter entirely, and to think of the former as a 
husband. Judith would not willingly have said this to any 
other man, but there was so much confidence awakened by the 
guileless simplicity of Deerslayer, that one of her nature found 
it a constant temptation to overstep the bounds of habit. She 
went no further, however, immediately relinquishing the hand, 
and falling back on a reserve that was more suited to her sex, 
and, indeed, to her natural modesty. 

“Thankee, Judith, thankee with all my heart,” returned 
the hunter, whose humility prevented him from placing any 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


287 


flattering interpretation on either the conduct or the language 
of the girl. “ Thankee as much as if it was all true. Harry ’s 
sightly — yes, he ’s as sightly as the tallest pine of the moun- 
tains, and the Sarpent has named him accordingly ; howsever, 
some fancy good looks, and some fancy good conduct, only. 
Hurry has one advantage, and it depends on himself whether 
he ’ll have t’ other or — Hark ! that ’s your father’s voice, gal, 
and he speaks like a man who ’s riled at something.” 

“ God save us from any more of these horrible scenes ! ” 
exclaimed Judith, bending her face to her knees, and endeavor- 
ing to exclude the discordant sounds, by applying her hands to 
her ears. “ I sometimes wish I had no father ! ” 

This was bitterly said, and the repinings which extorted the 
words Avere bitterly felt. It is impossible to say what might 
next have escaped her had not a gentle, low voice spoken at 
her elbow. 

“ Judith, I ought to have read a chapter to father and 
Hurry ! ” said the innocent but terrified speaker, “ and that 
would have kept them from going again on such an errand. 
Do you call to them, Deerslayer, and tell them I want them, 
and that it will be good for them both if they ’ll return and 
hearken to my words.” 

“ Ah ’s me ! poor Hetty, you little know the cravin’s for 
gold and revenge, if you believe they are so easily turned aside 
from their longin’s ! But this is an uncommon business in 
more ways than one, Judith. I hear your father and Hurry 
growling like bears, and yet no noise comes from the mouth of 
the young chief. There ’s an ind of secrecy, and yet his whoop, 
which ought to ring in the mountains, accordin’ to rule in such 
sarcumstances, is silent ! ” 

“ Justice may have alighted on him, and his death have 
saved the lives of the innocent.” 

“Not it — not it — the Sarpent is not the one to suffer if 
that ’s to be the law. Sartainly there has been no onset, and 


288 


THE DEERSLAYER 


’t is most likely that the camp ’s deserted, and the men are 
cornin’ hack disapp’inted. That accounts for the growls of 
Hurry and the silence of the Sarpent.” 

Just at this instant a fall of a paddle was heard in the 
canoe, for vexation made March reckless. Deerslayer felt con- 
vinced that his conjecture was true. The sail being down, the 
ark had not drifted far ; and ere many minutes he heard Chin- 
gachgook, in a low, quiet tone, directing Hutter how to steer 
in order to reach it. In less time than it takes to tell the fact, 
the canoe touched the scow, and the adventurers entered the 
latter. Neither Hutter nor Hurry spoke of what had occurred. 
But the Delaware, in passing his friend, merely uttered the 
words “fire’s out,” which, if not literally true, sufficiently 
explained the truth to his listener. 

It was now a question as to the course to be steered. A 
short surly conference w^as held, when Hutter decided that the 
wisest way would be to keep in motion as the means most 
likely to defeat any attempt at a surprise — announcing his 
own and March’s intention to requite themselves for the loss of 
sleep during their captivity, by lying down. As the air still 
baffled and continued light, it was finally determined to sail 
before it, let it come in what direction it might, so long as it 
did not blow the ark upon the strand.' This point settled, 
the released prisoners helped to hoist the sail, and they threw 
themselves upon two of the pallets, leaving Deerslayer and his 
friend to look after the movements of the craft. As neither 
of the latter was disposed to sleep, on account of the appoint- 
ment with Hist, this arrangement was acce])table to all parties. 
That Judith and Hetty remained up also, in no manner im- 
paired the agreeable features of this change. 

For some time the scow rather drifted than sailed along the 
western shore, following a light southerly current of the air. 
The progress was slow — not exceeding a couple of miles in 
the hour — but the two men perceived that it was not only 


THE DEERSLAYER 


289 


carrying them towards the point they desired to reach, but at 
a rate that was quite as fast as the hour yet rendered necessary. 
But little was said the while even by the girls ; and that 
little had more reference to the rescue of Hist than to any 
other subject. The Indian was calm to the eye, but as minute 
after minute passed, his feelings became more and more ex- 
cited, until they reached a state that might have satisfied the 
demands of even the most exacting mistress. Deerslayer kept 
the craft as much in the bays as was prudent, for the double 
purpose of sailing within the shadows of the woods, and of 
detecting any signs of an encampment they might pass on the 
I shore. In this manner they doubled one low point, and were 
I already in the bay that was terminated north by the goal at 
' which they aimed. The latter was still a quarter of a mile 
I distant, when Chingachgook came silently to the side of his 
1 friend and pointed to a place directly ahead. A small fire 
i was glimmering just within the verge of the bushes that lined 
the shore on the southern side of the point — leaving no doubt 
I that the Indians had suddenly removed their camp to the very 
i place, or at least the very, projection of land where Hist had 
I given them the rendezvous ! 


CHAPTER XVI 


“ I hear thee babbling to the vale 
Of sunshine and of flowers, 

But unto me thou bring’st a tale 
Of visionary hours.” 

Wordsworth. 

The discovery mentioned at the close of the preceding 
chapter was of great moment in the eyes of Deerslayer and 
his friend. In the first place, there was the danger, almost 
u 


290 


THE DEERSLAYER 


the certainty, that Hutter and Hurry would make a fresh 
attempt on this camp should they awake and ascertain its posi- 
tion. Then there was the increased risk of landing to bring otf 
Hist ; and there were the general uncertainty and additional 
hazards that must follow from the circumstance that their 
enemies had begun to change their positions. As the Delaware 
was aware that the hour was near when he ought to repair to 
the rendezvous, he no longer thought of trophies torn from his 
foes ; and one of the first things arranged between him and 
his associate was to permit the two others to sleep on, lest they 
should disturb the execution of their plans by substituting 
some of their own. The ark moved slowly, and it would have 
taken fully a quarter of an hour to reach the point, at the rate 
at which they were going ; thus affording time for a little fore- 
thought. The Indians, in the wish to conceal their fire from 
those who were thought to be still in the castle, had placed it 
so near the southern side of the point as to render it extremely 
difficult to shut it in by the bushes, though Deerslayer varied 
the direction of the scow, both to the right and to the left, in 
the hope of being able to effect that object. 

“There’s one advantage, Judith, in finding that fire so near 
the water,” he said, while executing these little manoeuvres ; 
“since it shows the Mingos believe we are in the hut, and'our 
coming on ’em from this quarter will be an onlooked-for event. 
But ’t is lucky Harry March and your father are asleep, else 
we should have ’em prowling after scalps ag’in. Ha ! there — 
the bushes are beginning to shut in the fire — and now it can’t 
be seen at all ! ” 

Deerslayer waited a little to make certain that he had at last 
gained the desired position, when he gave the signal agreed on, 
and Chingachgook let go the grapnel and lowered the sail. 

The situation in which the ark now lay had its advantages 
and its disadvantages. The fire had been hid by sheering 
towards the shore, and the latter was nearer perhaps than was 


THE DEER SLAYER 


291 


desirable. Still, the water was known to be very deep further 
otf in the lake, and anchoring in deep water, under the circurn 
stances in which the party was placed, was to be avoided, if 
1 possible. It was also believed no raft could be within miles ; 
: and, though the trees in the dcirkness appeared almost to over- 
hang the scow, it would not be easy to get off to her without 
; using a boat. The intense darkness that prevailed so close in 
with the forest, too, served as an effectual screen ; and so long 
as care was had not to make a noise, there was little or no dan- 
ger of being detected. All these things Deerslayer pointed out 
to Judith, instructing her as to the course she was to follow in 
the event of an alarm ; for it was thought to the last degree 
inexpedient to arouse the sleepers, unless it might be in the 
greatest emergency. 

“And now, Judith, as we understand one another, it is time 
the Sarpent and I had taken to the canoe,” the hunter con- 
cluded. “ The star has not risen yet, it ’s true, but it soon 
must ; though none of us are likely to be any the wiser for it 
to-night, on account of the clouds. Howsever, Hist has a 
ready mind, and she ’s one of them that does iTt always need to 
have a thing afore her to see it. I ’ll warrant you she ’ll not 
be either two minutes or two feet out of the way, unless them 
jealous vagabonds, the Mingos, have taken the alarm and put her 
as a stool-pigeon to catch us ; or have hid her away, in order to 
prepare her mind for a Huron instead of a Mohican husband.” 

“ Deerslayer,” interrupted the girl, earnestly ; “ this is a most 
dangerous service ; why do you go on it at all ? ” 

“ Anan ! Why you know, gal, we go to bring off Hist, the 
Sarpent’s betrothed — the maid he means to marry, as soon as 
we get back to the tribe.” 

“ That is all right for the Indian — but you do not mean to 
marry Hist — you are not betrothed, and why should two risk 
their lives and liberties, to do that which one can just as well 
perform ? ” 


292 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“Ah ! — now I understand you, Judith — yes, now I begin 
to take the idee. You think as Hist is the Sarpent’s betrothed, 
as they call it, and not mine, it 's altogether his affair ; and as 
one man can paddle a canoe, he ought to be left to go after his 
gal alone ! But you forget this is our arr’nd here, on the lake, 
and it would not tell well to forget an arr’nd just at the pinch. 
Then, if love does count for so much with some people, particu- 
larly with young women, fri’ndship counts for something, too, 
with other some. I dare to say the Delaware can paddle a canoe 
by himself, and can bring off Hist by himself, and perhaps he 
would like that quite as well as to have me with him ; but he 
could n’t sarcumvent sarcumventions, or stir up an ambushment, 
or fight with the savages, and get his sweetheart at the same 
time, as well by himself as if he had a fri’nd with him, to de- 
pend on, even if that fri’nd is no better than myself. No — 
no — J udith, you would n’t desart one that counted on you, at 
such a moment, and you can’t, in reason, expect me to do it.” 

“I fear — I believe you are right, Deerslayer; yet I wish 
you were not to go ! Promise me one thing, at least, and that 
is, not to trust yourself among the savages, or to do anything 
more than to save the girl. That will be enough for once, and 
with that you ought to be satisfied.” 

“ Lord bless you ! gal ; one would think it was Hetty that ’s 
talking, and not the quick-witted and wonderful Judith Hutter ! 
But fright makes the wise silly, and the strong weak. Yes, 
I ’ve seen proofs of that, time and ag’in ! Well, it ’s kind and 
soft-hearted in you, Judith, to feel this consarn for a fellow- 
creatur’, and I shall always say that you are kind and of true 
feelin’s, let them that inv^ your good looks tell as many idle 
stories of you as they may.” 

“ Deerslayer ! ” hastily said the girl, interrupting him, though 
nearly choked by her emotions, “ do you believe all you hear 
about a poor motherless girl? Is the foid tongue of Hurry 
Harry to blast my life ? ” 


THE BEERSLAYER 


293 


“Not it, Judith — not it. I Ve told Hurry it wasn’t man- 
ful to backbite them he could n’t win by fair means ; and that 
even an Indian is always tender, touching a young woman’s 
good name.” 

“ If I had a brother, he would n’t dare to do it ! ” exclaimed 
Judith, her eyes flashing fire. “ But, finding me without any 
protector but an old man, whose ears are getting to be as dull 
as his feelings, he has his way as he pleases.” 

“Not exactly that, Judith ; no, not exactly that, neither ! 
No man, brother or stranger, would stand by and see as fair 
a gal as yourself hunted down, without saying a word in her 
behalf. Hurry ’s in ’arnest in wanting to make you his wife, 
and the little he does let out ag’in you, comes more from jeal- 
ousy, like, than from anything else. Smile on him when he 
awakes, and squeeze his hand only half as hard as you squeezed 
mine a bit ago, and my life on it, the poor fellow will forget 
everything but your comeliness. Hot words don’t always come 
from the heart, but oftener from the stomach, than anywhere 
else. Try him, Judith, when he wakes, and see the vartue of 
a smile.” 

Deerslayer laughed, in his own manner, as he concluded, and 
then he intimated to the patient-looking, but really impatient 
Chingachgook, his readiness to proceed. As the young man 
entered the canoe, the girl stood immovable as stone, lost in the 
musings that the language and manner of the other were likely 
to produce. The simplicity of the hunter had completely put 
her at fault ; for, in her narrow sphere, Judith was an expert 
manager of the other sex ; though in the present instance she 
was far more actuated by impulses, in all she had said and 
done, than by calculation. We shall not deny that some of 
Judith’s reflections were bitter, though the sequel of the tale 
must be refeived to, in order to explain how merited or how 
keen were her sufferings. 

Chingachgook and his pale-face friend set forth on their 


294 


THE DEERSLAYER 


hazardous and delicate enterprise with a coolness and method 
that would have done credit to men who were on their twentieth 
instead of being on their first war-path. As suited his relation 
to the pretty fugitive in whose service they were engaged, the 
Indian took his place in the head of the canoe, while Deerslayer 
guided its movements in the stern. By this arrangement, the 
former would be the first to laud, and of course the first to meet 
his mistress. The latter had taken his post without comment, 
but in secret influenced by the reflection that one who had so | 
much at stake as the Indian, might not possibly guide the ■ 
canoe with the same steadiness and intelligence as another who 
had more command of his feelings. From the instant they left 
the side of the ark, the movements of the two adventurers were 
like the manoeuvres of highly-drilled soldiers, who for the first f 
time were called on to meet the enemy in the field. As yet, 
Chingachgook had never fired a shot in anger, and the debut 
of his companion in warfare is known to the reader. It is true, ; 
the Indian had been hanging about his enemy’s camp for a few 
hours, on his first arrival, and he had even once entered it, as 
related in the last chapter, but no consequences had followed 
either experiment. Now, it was certain that an important . 
result was to be effected, or a mortifying failure was to ensue. 
The rescue, or the continued captivity of Hist, depended on the 
enterprise. In a word, it was virtually the maiden expedition 
of these two ambitious young forest soldiers ; and while one of 
them set forth, impelled by sentiments that usually carry men 
so far, both had all their feelings of pride and manhood enlisted 
in their success. 

Instead of steering in a direct line to the point, then distant 
from the ark less than a quarter of a mile, Deerslayer laid the , 
head of his canoe diagonally towards the centre of the lake, 
with a view to obtain a position from which he might approach 
the shore, having his enemies in his front only. The spot where 
Hetty had landed, and where Hist had promised to meet them, 


THE DEERSLAYER 


295 


f moreover, was on the upper side of the projection, rather than 
i on the lower, and to reach it would have required the adven- 
' turers to double nearly the whole point, close in with the shore, 

' had not this preliminary step been taken. So well was the 
necessity for this measure understood, that Chingachgook 
1 quietly paddled on, although it was adopted without consult- 
J ing him, and apparently was taking him in a direction nearly 
opposite to that one might think he most wished to go. A few 
I minutes sufficed, however, to carry the canoe the necessary dis- 
* tance, when both the young men ceased paddling, as it were by 
i instinctive consent, and the boat became stationary. 

1 The darkness increased rather than diminished, but it was 
I still possible, from the place where the adventurers lay, to dis- 
tinguish the outlines of mountains. In vain did the Delaware 
■ turn his head eastward, to catch a glimpse of the promised star ; 
‘ for, notwithstanding the clouds broke a little near the horizon 
I in that quarter of the heavens, the curtain continued so far 
j drawn as effectually to conceal all behind it. In front, as was 
! known by the formation of land above and behind it, lay the 
point, at a distance of about a thousand feet. No signs of 
the castle could be seen, nor could any movement in that 
quarter of the lake reach the ear. The latter circumstance 
might have been equally owing to the distance, which was sev- 
eral miles, or to the fact that nothing was in motion. As for 
the ark, though scarcely farther from the canoe than the point, 
it lay so completely buried in the shadows of the shore that it 
would not have been visible even had there been many degrees 
more of light than actually existed. 

The adventurers now held a conference in low voices, con- 
sulting together as to the probable time. Deerslayer thougiit 
it wanted yet some minutes to the rising of the star, while the 
impatience of the chief caused him to fancy the night further 
advanced, and to believe that his betrothed was already waiting 
his aonearance on the shore. As might have been expected, 


296 


THE DEERSLAYER 


the opinion of the latter prevailed, and his friend disposed him- 
self to steer for the place of rendezvous. The utmost skill and 
precaution now became necessary in the management of the 
canoe. The paddles were lifted and returned to the water in 
a noiseless manner; and when within a hundred yards of the 
beach, Chingachgook took in his altogether, laying his hand on 
his rifle in its stead. As they got still more within the belt 
of darkness that girded the woods, it was seen that they were 
steering too far north, and the course was altered accordingly. 
The canoe now seemed to move by instinct, so cautious and 
deliberate were all its motions. Still it continued to advance, 
until its bows grated on the gravel of the beach, at the precise 
spot where Hetty had landed, and whence her voice had issue*^ 
the previous night as the ark was passing. There was, ks 
usual, a narrow strand, but bushes fringed the woods, and in 
most places overhung the water. 

Chingachgook stepped upon the beach, and cautiously ex- 
amined it, foi?' some distance, on each side of the canoe. In 
order to do this, he was often obliged to wade to his knees in 
the lake. No Hist rewarded his search. When he returned, 
he found his friend also on the shore. They next conferred in 
whispers, the Indian apprehending that they must have mis- 
taken the place of rendezvous. Deerslayer thought it was prob- 
able they had mistaken the hour. While he was yet speaking, 
he grasped the arm of the Delaware, caused him to turn his 
head in the direction of the lake, and pointed towards the 
summits of the eastern mountains. The clouds had broken a 
little, apparently behind rather than above the hills, and the 
selected star was glittering among the branches of a pine. This 
was every way a flattering omen, and the young men leaned on 
their rifles, listening intently for the sound of approaching foot- 
steps. Voices they often heard, and mingled with them were 
the suppressed cries of children, and the low but sweet laugh 
of Indian women. As the native Americans are habitually can- 


THE DEERSLAYER 


297 ^ 

tious, and seldom break out in loud conversation, the adventur- 
ers knew by these facts that they must be very near the 
encampment. It was easy to perceive that there was a fire 
within the woods, by the manner in which some of the upper 
branches of the trees were illuminated, but it was not possible, 
where they stood, to ascertain exactly how near it was to them- 
selves. Once or twice it seemed as if stragglers from around 
the fire were approaching the place of rendezvous ; but these 
sounds were either altogether illusion, or those who had drawn 
near returned again without coming to the shore. A quarter of 
an hour was passed in this state of intense expectation and 
anxiety, when Deerslayer proposed that they should circle the 
Doint in the canoe ; and by getting a position close in, where 
lie camp could be seen, reconnoitre the Indians, and thus ena- 
ble themselves to form some plausible conjectures for the non- 
appearance of Hist. The Delaware, however, resolutely refused 
to quit the spot, plausibly enough offering as a reason, the dis- 
appointment of the girl, should she arrive in his absence. Deer- 
slayer felt for his friend’s concern, and offered to make the 
circuit of the point by himself, leaving the latter concealed in 
the bushes to await the occurrence of any fortunate event that 
might favor his views. With this understanding, then, the 
parties separated. 

As soon as Deerslayer was at his post again, in the stem of 
the canoe, he left the shore with the same precautions, and in 
the same noiseless manner as he approached it. On this occa- 
sion he did not go far from the land, the bushes affording a suf- 
ficient cover, by keeping as close in as possible. Indeed, it 
would not have been easy to devise any means more favorable 
to reconnoitring round an Indian camp, than those afforded by 
the actual state of things. The formation of the point per- 
mitted the place to be circled on three of its sides, and the 
progress of the boat was so noiseless as to remove any appre- 
hensions from an alarm through sound. The most practised 


298 


THE DEERSLAYER 


and guarded foot might stir a bunch of leaves or snap a dried 
stick in the dark, but a bark canoe could be made to float over 
the surface of smooth water, almost with the instinctive readi- 
ness, and certainly with the noiseless movements, of an aquatic 
bird. 

Deerslayer had got nearly in a line between the camp and 
the ark, before he caught a glimpse of the Are. This came 
upon him suddenly, and a little unexpectedly, at first causing 
an alarm, lest he had incautiously ventured within the circle 
of light it cast. But, perceiving at a second glance that he 
was certainly safe from detection, so long as the Indians kept 
near the centre of the illumination, he brought the canoe to a 
state of rest, in the most favorable position he could find, and 
commenced his observations. 

We have written much, but in vain, concerning this extraor- 
dinary being, if the reader requires now to be told that, untu- 
tored as he was in the learning of the world, and simple as he ; 
ever showed himself to be in all matters touching the subtleties , 
of conventional taste, he was a man of strong, native, poetical 
feeling. He loved the woods for their freshness, their sublime ' 
solitudes, their vastness, and the impress that they everywhere ; 
bore of the divine hand of their Creator. He rarely moved 
through them without pausing to dwell on some peculiar beauty 
that gave him pleasure, though seldom attempting to investigate 
the causes ; and never did a day pass without his communing in 
spirit, and this, too, without the aid of forms or language, with ; 
the infinite Source of all he saw, felt, and beheld. Thus consti- 
tuted in a moral sense, and of *a steadiness that no danger could . 
appall or any crisis disturb, it is not surprising that the hunter 
felt a pleasure at looking on the scene he now beheld, that 
momentarily caused him to forget the object of his visit. This 1 
will more fully appear when we describe it. 

The canoe lay in front of a natural vista, not only through : 
the bushes that lined the shore but of the trees also, that 


THE DEERSLAYER 


299 


afforded a clear view of the camp. It was by means of this 
same opening that the light had been first seen from the ark. 
In consequence of their recent change of ground, the Indians 
had not yet retired to their huts, but had been delayed by their 
preparations, which included lodging as well as food. A large 
fire had been made, as much to answer the purpose of torches, 
as for the use of their simple cookery; and at this precise 
moment it was blazing high and bright, having recently 
received a large supply of dried brush. The effect was to 
illuminate the arches of the forest, and to render the whole 
area occupied by the camp as light as if hundreds of tapers 
were burning. Most of the toil had ceased, and even the 
hungriest child had satisfied its appetite. In a word, the time 
was that moment of relaxation and general indolence which is 
apt to succeed a hearty meal, and when the labors of the day 
have ended. The hunters and the fishermen had been equally 
successful; and food, that one great requisite of savage life, 
being abundant, every other care appeared to have subsided 
in the sense of enjoyment dependent on this all-important 
fact. 

Deerslayer saw at a glance that many of the warriors were 
absent. His acquaintancej Rivenoak, however, was present, 
being seated in the foreground of a picture that Salvator Rosa® 
would have delighted to draw, his swarthy features illuminated 
as much by pleasure as by the torch-like flame, while he 
showed another of the tribe one of the elephants that had 
caused so much sensation among his people. A boy was look- 
ing over his shoulder, in dull curiosity, completing the group. 
More in the background, eight or ten warriors lay half recum- 
bent on the ground, or sat with their backs inclining against 
trees, so many types of indolent repose. Their arms were near 
them, sometimes leaning against ther same trees as themselves, 
or were lying across their bodies, in careless preparation. But 
the group that most attracted the attention of Deerslayer was 


300 


THE DEERSLAYER 


that composed of the women and children. All the females 
appeared to be collected together, and, almost as a matter of 
course, their young were near them. The former laughed and 
chatted in their rebuked and quiet manner, though one who 
knew the habits of the people might have detected that every- 
thing was not going on in its usual train. Most of the young 
women seemed to be light-hearted enough ; but one old hag was 
seated apart, with a watchful, soured aspect, which the hunter 
at once knew betokened that some duty of an unpleasant 
character had been assigned her by the chiefs. What that 
duty was he had no means of knowing ; but he felt satisfied it 
must be, in some measure, connected with her own sex, the 
aged among the women generally being chosen for such offices, 
and no other. 

As a matter of course Deerslayer looked eagerly and anx- 
iously for the form of Hist. She was nowhere visible, though 
the light penetrated to considerable distances in all directions 
around the fire. Once or twice he started, as he thought he recog- 
nized her laugh ; but his ears were deceived by the soft melody 
that is so common to the Indian female voice. At length the 
old woman spoke loud and angrily, and then he caught a 
glimpse of one or two dark figures, in the background of trees, 
which turned as if obedient to the rebuke, and walked more 
within the circle of the light. A young warrior’s form first 
came fairly into view ; then followed two youthful females, one 
of whom proved to be the Delaware girl. Deerslayer now 
comprehended it all. Hist was watched, possibly by her 
young companion, certainly by the old woman. The youth 
was probably some suitor of either her or her companion ; but 
even his discretion was distrusted under the influence of his 
admiration. The known vicinity of those who might be sup- 
posed to be her friends, and the arrival of a strange red-man 
on the lake, had induced more than the usual care, and the girl 
had not been able to slip away from those who watched her, in 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


301 


order to keep her appointment. Deerslayer traced her uneasi- 
ness, by her attempting, once or twice, to look up through the 
branches of the trees, as if endeavoring to get glimpses of the 
star she had herself named as the sign for meeting. All was 
vain, however, and after strolling about the camp a little 
longer, in affected indifference, the two girls quitted their male 
escort, and took seats among their own sex. As soon as this 
was done, the old sentinel changed her place to one more agree- 
able to herself, a certain proof that she had hitherto been 
exclusively on watch. 

Deerslayer now felt greatly at a loss how to proceed. He 
well knew that Chingachgook could never be persuaded to 
return to the ark, without making some desperate effort for the 
recovery of his mistress, and his own generous feelings well dis- 
posed him to aid in such an undertaking. He thought he saw 
the signs of an intention among the females to retire for the 
night ; and should he remain, and the fire continue to give out 
its light, he might discover the particular hut, or arbor, under 
which Hist reposed ; a circumstance that would be of infinite 
use in their future proceedings. Should he remain, however, 
much longer w^here he was, there was great danger that the 
impatience of his friend would drive him into some act of 
imprudence. At each instant, indeed, he expected to see the 
swarthy form of the Delaware appearing in the background, 
like the tiger prowling around the fold. Taking all things into 
consideration, therefore, he came to the conclusion it would be 
better to rejoin his friend, and endeavor to temper his impetu- 
osity by some of his own coolness and discretion. It required 
but a minute or two to put this plan in execution, the canoe 
returning to the strand some ten or fifteen minutes after it had 
left it. 

Contrary to his expectations, perhaps, Deerslayer found the 
Indian at his post, from which he had not stirred, fearful that 
his betrothed might arrive during his absence. A conference 


302 


THE DEERSLAYER 


followed, in which Chingachgook was made acquainted "with 
the state of things in the camp. When Hist named the point 
as the place of meeting, it was with the expectation of making 
her escape from the old position, and of repairing to a spot that 
she expected to find without any occupants ; but the sudden 
change of localities had disconcerted all her plans. A much 
greater degree of vigilance than had been previously required, 
was now necessary ; and the circumstance that an aged woman 
was on watch, also denoted some special grounds of alarm. All 
these considerations, and many more that will readily suggest 
themselves to the reader, were briefly discussed, before the 
young men came to any decision. The occasion, however, 
being one that required acts instead of words, the course to be 
pursued was soon chosen. 

Disposing of the canoe in such a manner that Hist must see 
it, should she come to the place of meeting previously to their 
return, the young men looked to their arms, and prepared to 
enter the wood. The whole projection into the lake contained 
about two acres of land ; and the part that formed the point, 
and on which the camp was placed, did not compose a surface 
of more than half* that size. It was principally covered with 
oaks, which, as is usual in the American forests, grew to a 
great height without throwing out a branch, and then arched 
in a dense and rich foliage. Beneath, except the fringe of 
thick bushes along the shore, there was very little underbrush ; 
though in consequence of their shape the trees were closer 
together than is common in regions where the axe has been 
freely used, resembling tall, straight, rustic columns, upholding 
the usual canopy of leaves. The surface of the land was toler- 
ably even, but it had a small rise near its centre, which divided 
it into a northern and southern half. On the latter the Hu- 
rons had built their Are, profiting by the formation to conceal it 
from their enemies, who, it will be remembered, were supposed 
to be in the castle, which bore northerly. A brook also came 


THE BEERSLAYER 


303 


brawling down the sides of the adjacent hills, and found its 
way into the lake on the southern side of the point. It had cut 
for itself a deep passage through some of the higher portions 
of the ground, and, in later days, when the spot has become 
subjected to the uses of civilization, by its windings and shaded 
banks, it has become no mean accessory in contributing to the 
beauty of the place. This brook lay west of the encampment, 
and its waters found their way into the great reservoir of that 
region on the same side, and quite near to the spot chosen for 
the fire. All these peculiarities, so far as circumstances allowed, 
had been noted by Deerslayer, and explained to his friend. 

The reader will understand that the little rise in the ground 
that lay behind the Indian encampment, greatly favored the 
secret advance of the two adventurers. It prevented the light 
of the fire diffusing itself on the ground directly in the rear, 
although the land fell away towards the water, so as to leave 
what might be termed the left, or eastern flank of the position, 
unprotected by this covering. We have said “ unprotected,” 
though that is not properly the word, since the knoll behind 
the huts and the fire ottered a cover for those who were now 
stealthily approaching, rather than any protection to the 
Indians. Deerslayer did not break through the fringe of 
bushes immediately abreast of the canoe, which might have 
brought him too suddeidy within the influence of the light, 
since the hillock did not extend to the water ; but he followed 
the beach northerly until he had got nearly on the opposite side 
of the tongue of land, which brought him under the shelter of 
the low acclivity, and consequently more in shadow. 

As soon as the friends emerged from the bushes, they 
stopped to reconnoitre. The fire was still blazing behind the 
little ridge, casting its light upward into the tops of the trees, 
producing an ettect that was more pleasing than advantageous. 
Still the glare had its uses ; for, while the background was in 
obscurity, the foreground was in strong light ; exposing the 


304 


THE DEERSLAYER 


savages and concealing their foes. Profiting by the latter cir- 
cumstance, the young men advanced cautiously towards the 
ridge, Deerslayer in front, for he insisted on this arrangement, 
lest the Delaware should be led by his feelings into some indis- 
cretion. It required but a moment to reach the foot of the 
little ascent, and then commenced the most critical part of the 
enterprise. Moving with exceeding caution, and trailing his 
rifle, both to keep its barrel out of view, and in readiness for 
service, the hunter put foot before foot, until he had got suffi- 
ciently high to overlook the summit, his own head being alone 
brought into the light. Chingachgook was at his side, and 
both paused to take another close examination of the camp. 
In order, however, to protect themselves against any straggler 
in the rear, they placed their bodies against the trunk of an 
oak, standing on the side next the fire. 

The view that Deerslayer now obtained of the camp, was 
exactly the reverse of that he had perceived from the water. 
The dim figures which he had formerly discovered must have 
been on the summit of the ridge, a few feet in advance of the 
spot where he was now posted. The fire was still blazing 
^ brightly, and around it were seated on logs thirteen warriors, 
which accounted for all whom he had seen from the canoe. 
They were conversing with much earnestness among them- 
selves, the image of the elephant passing from hand to hand. 
The first burst of savage wonder had abated, and the question 
now under discussion was the probable existence, the history 
and habits of so extraordinary an animal. We have not leisure 
to record the opinions of these rude men on a subject so con- 
sonant to their lives and experience ; but little is hazarded in 
saying that they were quite as plausible, and far more ingen- 
ious, than half the conjectures that precede the demonstrations 
of science. However much they may have been at fault as to 
their conclusions and inferences, it is certain that they discussed 
the questions with a zealous and most undivided attention. For 


THE DEERSLA YER 305 

the time being, all else was forgotten, and oiir adventurers 
could not have approached at a more fortunate instant. 

The females were collected near each other, much as Deer- 
slayer had last seen them, nearly in a line between the place 
where he now stood and the fire. The distance from the oak 
against which the young men leaned and the warriors, was 
about thirty yards ; the women may have been half that num- 
ber of yards nigher. The latter, indeed, were so near as to 
make the utmost circumspection, as to motion and noise, indis- 
pensable. Although they conversed in their low, soft voices, it 
was possible, in the profound stillness of the woods, even to 
I catch passages of the discourse; and the light-hearted laugh 
that escaped the girls might occasionally have reached the 
1 canoe. Deerslayer felt the tremor that passed through the 
' frame of his friend, when the latter first caught the sweet 
: sounds that issued from the plump pretty lips of Hist. He 
i even laid a hand on the shoulder of the Indian, as a sort of 
I admonition to command himself. As the conversation grew 
I more earnest each leaned forward to listen. 
f “ The Hurons have more curious beasts than that,” said one 
I of the girls contemptuously ; for, like the men, they conversed 
! of the elephant and his qualities. “ The Delawares will think 
this creatm-e wonderful, but to-morrow no Huron tongue will 
talk of it. Our young men will find him if the animal dares 
to come near our wigwams ! ” 

This was in fact addressed to Wah-ta-Wah, though she who 
spoke uttered her words with an assumed diffidence and humil- 
ity, that prevented her looking at the other. 

“ The Delawares are so far from letting such creatures come 
into their country,” returned Hist, “ that no one has even seen 
their images there ! Their young men would frighten away 
the images as well as the beasts.” 

“ The Delaware young men ! — the nation is women, — 
even the deer walk when they hear their hunters coming. 


X 


806 


THE DEERSLAYER 


Who has ever heard the name of a young Delaware war- 
rior ? ” 

This was said in good-humor, and with a laugh ; but it was 
also said bitingly. That Hist so felt it, was apparent by the 
spirit betrayed in her answer. 

“ Who has ever heard the name of a young Delaware ! ” she 
repeated earnestly. “ Tamenund, himself, though now as old 
as the pines on the hill, or as the eagles in the air, was once 
young ; his name was heard from the great salt lake to the 
sweet waters of the west. What is the family of Uncas? 
Where is another as great, thougli the pale-faces have ploughed 
up its graves, and trodden on its bones 1 Do the eagles fly as 
high, is the deer as swift, or the panther as brave? Is there 
no young warrior of that race ? Let the Huron maidens open 
their eyes wider, and they may see one called Chingachgook, 
who is as stately as a young ash, and as tough as the hickoiy.’^ 

As the girl used her figurative language, and told her com- 
panions to “open their eyes and they would see” the Dela- 
ware, Deerslayer thrust his fingers into the sides of his friend, 
and indulged in a fit of his hearty, benevolent laughter. The 
other smiled ; but the language of the speaker was too flatter- 
ing, and the tones of her voice too sweet for him to be led 
away by any accidental coincidence, however ludicrous. The 
speech of Hist produced a retort, and the dispute, though con- 
ducted in good-humor, and without any of the coarse violence 
of tone and gesture that often impairs the charms of the sex 
in what is called civilized life, grew warm and slightly clamor- 
ous. In the midst of this scene the Delaware caused his friend 
to stoop, so as completely to conceal himself, and then he made 
a noise so closely resembling the little chirrup of the smallest 
species of the American squirrel, that Deerslayer himself, 
though he had heard the imitation a hundred times, actually 
thought it came from one of the little animals skipping about 
over his head. The sound is so familiar in the woods that 


THE DEERSLAYER 


307 


none of the Hurons paid it the least attention. Hist, however, 
instantly ceased talking, and sat motionless. Still, she had 
sufficient self-command to abstain from turning her head. She 
had heard the signal by wffiich her lover so often called her from 
the wigwam to the stolen interview, and it came over her senses 
and her heart, as the serenade alfects the maiden in the land 
of song. 

From that moment Chingachgook felt certain that his pres- 
ence was known. This was effecting much, and he could now 
hope for a bolder line of conduct on the part of his mistress, 
than she might dare to adopt under an uncertainty of his situa- 
tion. It left no doubt of her endeavoring to aid him in his 
effort to release her. Deerslayer arose as soon as the signal 
was given, and though he had never held that sweet communion 
which is known only to lovers, he was not slow to detect the 
great change that had come over the manner of the girl. She 
still affected to dispute, though it was no longer with spirit 
and ingenuity, but what she said was uttered more as a lure 
to draw her antagonists on to an easy conquest than with any 
hopes of succeeding herself Once or twice, it is true, her native 
readiness suggested a retort or an argument that raised a laugh, 
and gave her a momentary advantage ; but these little sallies, 
the offspring of mother-wit, served the better to conceal her 
real feelings, and to give to the triumph of the other party a 
more natural air than it might have possessed without them. 
At length the disputants became wearied, and they rose in a 
body as if about to separate. It was now that Hist, for the 
first time, ventured to turn her face in the direction whence 
the signal had come. In doing this, her movements were natu- 
ral but guarded, and she stretched her arm and yawned, as if 
overcome with a desire to sleep. The chirrup was again heard, 
and the girl felt satisfied as to the position of her lover, though 
the strong light in which she herself was }daced, and the com- 
parative darkness in which the adventurers stood, prevented 


308 


THE DEERSLAYER 


her from seeing their heads, the only portions of their forms 
that appeared above the ridge at all. The tree against which 
they were posted had a dark shadow cast upon it by the inter- 
vention of an enormous pine that grew between it and the fire, 
a circumstance which alone would have rendered objects within 
its cloud invisible at any distance. This Deerslayer well knew, 
and it was one of the reasons why he had selected this particular 
tree. 

The moment was near when it became necessary for Hist to 
act. She was to sleep in a small hut, or bower, that had been 
built near the spot where she stood, and her companion was 
the aged hag already mentioned. Once within the hut, with 
this sleepless old woman stretched across the entrance, as was 
her nightly practice, the hope of escape was nearly destroyed, 
and she might, at any moment, be summoned to her bed. 
Luckily, at this instant, one of the w^arriors called to the old 
woman by name, and bade her bring him water to drink. 
There was a delicious spring on the northern side of the point, 
and the hag took a gourd from a branch, and summoning Hist 
to her side, she moved toward the summit of the ridge, intend- 
ing to descend and cross the point to the natural fountain. 
All this was seen and understood by the adventurers, and they 
fell back into the obscurity, concealing their persons by trees, 
until the two females had passed them. In walking. Hist was 
held tightly by the hand. As she moved by the tree that hid , 
Chingachgook and his friend, the former felt for his tomahawk, , 
with the intention to bury it in the brain of the woman. But I 
the other saw the hazard of such a measure, since a single ' 
scream might bring all the warriors upon them, and he was 
averse to the act on considerations of humanity. His hand, , 
therefore, prevented the blow. Still as the two moved past, 
the chirrup was repeated, and the Huron woman stopped and 
faced the tree whence the sounds seemed to proceed, standing, 
at the moment, within six feet of her enemies. She expressed 


THE DEERSLAYER 


309 


her surprise that a squirrel should be in motion at so late an 
hour, and said it boded evil. Hist answered that she had 
heard the same squirrel three times within the last twenty- 
minutes, and that she supposed it was waiting to obtain some 
of the crumbs left from the late supper. This explanation ap- 
peared satisfactory, and they moved towards the spring, the 
men following stealthily and closely. The gourd was filled, 
and the old woman was hurrying back, her hand still grasping 
the wrist of the girl, when she was suddenly seized so violently 
by the throat, as to cause her to release her captive, and to 
prevent her making any other sound than a sort of gurgling, 
suffocating noise. The Serpent passed his arm round the waist 
of his mistress, and dashed through the bushes with her, on 
the north side of the point. Here he immediately turned along 
the beach and ran towards the canoe. A more direct course 
could have been taken, but it might have led to a discovery of 
the place of embarking. 

Deerslayer kept playing on the throat of the old woman, 
like the keys of an organ, occasionally allowing her to breathe, 
and then compressing his fingers again nearly to strangling. 
The brief intervals for breath, however, were well improved, 
and the hag succeeded in letting out a screech or two that 
served to alarm the camp. The tramp of the warriors, as they 
sprang from the fire, was plainly audible ; and, at the next 
moment, three or four of them appeared on the top of the ridge, 
drawn • against the background of light, resembling the dim 
shadows of the phantasmagoria. It was now quite time for the 
hunter to retreat. Tripping up the heels of his captive, and 
giving her throat a parting squeeze, quite as much in resent- 
ment at her indomitable efforts to sound the alarm, as from any 
policy, he left her on her back, and moved towards the bushes, 
his rifle at a poise, and his head over his shoulders, like a lion 
at bay. 


310 


THE DEERSLAYER 


CHAPTER XVII 

“ There, ye wise’saints, behold your light, your star, 

Ye would be dupes and.victims, and ye are, 

Is it enough ? or must I, while a thrill 

Lives in your sapient bosoms, cheat you still ? ” 

Moore. 

The fire, the canoe, and the spring, near which Deerslayer 
commenced his retreat, would have stood in the angles of a tri- 
angle of tolerably equal sides. The distance from the fire to 
the boat was a little less than the distance from the fire to the 
spring, while the distance from the spring to the boat was about 
equal to that between the two points first named. This, how- 
ever, was in straight lines — a means of escape to which the 
fugitives could not resort. They were obliged to have recourse 
to a detour in order to get the cover of the bushes, and to fol- 
low the curvature of the beach. Under these disadvantages, 
then, the hunter commenced his retreat — disadvantages that he 
felt to be so much the greater, from his knowledge of the habits 
of all Indians, who rarely fail in cases of sudden alarm, more 
especially when in the midst of cover, immediately to throw out 
flankers, with a view to meet their foes at all points, and if possi- 
ble to turn their rear. That some such course was now adopted, 
he believed from the tramp of feet, which not only came up the 
ascent, as related, but were also heard, under the faint impulse, 
diverging not only towards the hill in the rear, but towards the 
extremity of the point, in a direction opposite to that he was 
about to take himself. Promptitude consequently became a 
matter of the last importance, as the parties might meet on 
the strand before the fugitive could reach the canoe. 

Notwithstanding the pressing nature of the emergency, Deer- 
slayer hesitated a single instant, ere he plunged into the bushes 
that lined the shore. His feelings had been awakened by the 


THE DEERSLAYER 


311 


whole scene, and a sternness of purpose had come over him, to 
which he was ordinarily a stranger. Four dark figures loomed 
on the ridge, drawn against the brightness of the fire, and an 
enemy might have been sacrificed at a glance. The Indians 
had paused to gaze into the gloom in search of the screeching 
hag ; and with many a man less given to reflection than the 
hunter, the death of one of them would have been certain. 
Luckily, he was more prudent. Although the rifle dropped a 
little towards the foremost of his pursuers, he did not aim or 
fire, but disappeared in the cover. To gain the beach, and to 
follow it round to the place w'here Chingachgook was already 
in the canoe with Hist, anxiously waiting his appearance, occu- 
pied but a moment. Laying his rifle in the bottom of the 
canoe, Deerslayer stooped to give the latter a vigorous shove 
; from the shore, when a powerful Indian leaped through the 
; bushes, alighting like a panther on his back. Everything was 
i now suspended by a hair ; a false step ruining all. With a 
generosity that would have rendered a Roman illustrious 
throughout all time, but which, in the career of one so simple 
and humble, would have been forever lost to the world, but for 
I this unpretending legend, Deerslayer threw all his force into a 
' desperate eflbrt, shoved the canoe off with a power that sent it 
a hundred feet from the shore as it might be in an instant, and 
fell forward into the lake himself, face downward, his assailant 
necessarily following him. 

Although the water was deep within a few yards of the 
beach, it was not more than breast-high as close in as the spot 
where the two combatants fell. Still this was quite sufficient 
to destroy one who had sunk under the great disadvantages in 
which Deerslayer was placed. His hands were free, however, 
and the savage was compelled to relinquish his hug to keep his 
own face above the surface. For half a minute there was a 
desperate struggle, like the floundering of an alligator that has 
just seized some powerful prey, and then both stood erect, 


31-2 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


grasping each other’s arms, in order to prevent the use of the 
deadly knife in the darkness. What might have been the issue 
of this severe personal struggle cannot be known, for half-a- 
dozen savages came leaping into the water to the aid of their 
friend, and Deerslayer yielded himself a prisoner with a dignity 
that was as remarkable as his self-devotion. 

To quit the lake and lead their new captive to the fire occu- 
pied the Indians but another minute. So much engaged were 
they all with the struggle and its consequences that the canoe 
was unseen, though it still lay so near the shore as to render 
every syllable that was uttered perfectly intelligible to the 
Delaware and his betrothed ; and the whole party left the spot, 
some continuing the pursuit after Hist, along the beach, though 
most proceeded to the light. Here Deerslayer’s antagonist so 
far recovered his breath and his recollection, for he had been 
throttled nearly to strangulation, as to relate the manner in 
which the girl had got off. It was now too late to assail the 
other fugitives, for no sooner was his friend led into the bushes 
than the Delaware placed his paddle into the water, and the 
light canoe glided noiselessly away, holding its course towards 
the centre of the lake, until safe from shot, after which it 
sought the ark. 

When Deerslayer reached the fire, he found himself sur- 
rounded by no less than eight grim savages, among whom was 
his old acquaintance Rivenoak. As soon as the latter caught a 
glimpse of the captive’s countenance, he spoke apart to his 
companions, and a low but general exclamation of pleasure and 
surprise escaped them. They knew that the conqueror of their 
late friend, he who had fallen on the opposite side of the lake, 
was in their hands, and subject to their mercy or vengeance. 
There was no little admiration mingled in the ferocious looks 
that were thrown on the prisoner, an admiration that was as 
much excited by his present composure as by his past deeds. 
This scene may be said to have been the commencement of the 


THE DEERSLAYER 


313 


great and terrible reputation that Deerslayer, or Hawkeye, as 
he was afterwards called, enjoyed among all the tribes of New 
York and Canada ; a reputation that was certainly more limited 
in its territorial and numerical extent, than those which are 
possessed in civilized life, but which was compensated for what 
it wanted in these particulars, perhaps, by its greater justice, 
and the total absence of mystification and management. 

The arms of Deerslayer were not pinioned, and he was left 
the free use of his hands, his knife having been first removed. 
The only precaution that was taken to secure his person was 
untiring watchfulness, and a strong rope of bark that passed 
from ankle to ankle, not so much to prevent his walking as to 
place an obstacle in the way of his attempting to escape by any 
; sudden leap. Even this extra provision against flight was not 
1 made until the captive had been brought to the light and his 
character ascertained. It was, in fact, a compliment to his 
I prowess, and he felt proud of the distinction. That he might 
I be bound when the warriors slept he thought probable, but to 
be bound in the moment of capture showed that he was already, 

! and thus early, attaining a name. While the young Indians 
j were fastening the rope, he wondered if Chingachgook would 
I have been treated in the same manner, had he too fallen into 
; the, hands of the enemy. Nor did the reputation of the young 
pale-face rest altogether on his success in the previous combat, 
or in his discriminating and cool manner of managing the late 
negotiation ; for it had received a great accession by the occur- 
I rences of the night. Ignorant of the movements of the ark, 

I and of the accident that had brought their fire into view, the 
! Iroquois attributed the discovery of their new camp to the vigi- 
lance of so shrewd a foe. The manner in which he ventured 
upon the point, the abstraction or escape of Hist, and most of 
I all the self-devotion of the prisoner, united to the readiness 
i with which he had sent the canoe adrift, were so many impor- 
I tant links in the chain of facts on which his growing fame was 


314 


THE DEERSLAYER 


founded. Many of these circumstances had been seen, some 
had been explained, and all were understood. 

While this admiration and these honors were so unreservedly 
bestowed on Deerslayer, he did not escape some of the penalties 
of his situation. He was permitted to seat himself on the end 
of a log, near the fire, in order to dry his clothes, his late 
adversary standing opposite, now holding articles of his own 
scanty vestments to the heat, and now feeling his throat, on 
which the marks of his enemy’s fingers were still quite visible. 
The rest of the warriors consulted together, near at hand, all 
those who had been out having returned to report that no sig’ns 
of any other prowlers near the camp were to be found. In this 
state of things, the old woman, whose name was Shebear, in 
plain English, approached Deerslayer, with her fists clenched 
and her eyes flashing fire. Hitherto slie had been occupied 
with screaming, an employment at which she had played her 
part with no small degree of success, but having succeeded in 
eftectually alarming all within reach of a pair of lungs that had 
been strengthened by long practice, she next turned her attention 
to the injuries her own person had sustained in the struggle. 
These were in no manner material, though they were of a nature 
to arouse all the fury of a woman who had long ceased to attract 
by means of the gentler ciualities, and who was much disposed to 
revenge the hardships she had so long endured, as the neglected 
wife and mother of savages, on all who came within her power. 
If Deerslayer had not permanently injured her, he had tempo- 
rarily caused her to suffer, and she was not a person to overlook 
a wrong of this nature on account of its motive. 

“ Skunk of the pale-faces,” commenced this exasperated and 
semi-poetic fury, shaking her fist under the nose of the impas- 
sible hunter, “ you are not even a woman. Your friends, the 
Delawares, are only women, and you are their sheep. Your 
own people will not own you, and no tribe of redme?i would 
have you in their wigwams; you skulk among petticoated 


THE DEEESLAYER 


315 


warriors. You slay our brave friend who has left us ? — no — 
his great soul scorned to fight you, and left his body rather 
than have the shame of slaying you / But the blood that you 
spilt when the spirit was not looking on has not sunk into the 
ground. It must be buried in your groans ! What music do 
I hear? Those are not the wailings of a redman ! — no red 
warrior groans so much like a hog. They come from a pale- 
face throat — a Yengeese bosom, and sound as pleasant as girls 
singing. Dog — skunk — woodchuck — mink — hedgehog — 
pig — toad — spider — Yen gee — ” 

Here the old woman, having expended her breath, and ex- 
hausted her epithets, was fain to pause a moment, though both 
her fists were shaken in the prisoner’s face, and the whole of 
her wrinkled countenance was filled with fierce resentment. 
Deerslayer looked upon these impotent attempts to arouse him, 
as indifferently as a gentleman in our own state of society 
regards the vituperative terms of a blackguard : the one party 
feeling that the tongue of an old woman could never injure a 
I warrior, and the other knowing that mendacity and vulgarity 
i can only permanently affect those who resort to their use ; but 
I he was spared any fiirther attack at present, by the interposi- 
i tion of Rivenoak, who shoved aside the hag, bidding her quit the 
spot, and prepared to take his seat at the side of his prisoner. 
The old woman withdrew, but the hunter well understood 
that he was to be the subject of all her means of annoyance, 
if not of positive injury, so long as he remained in the power of 
I his enemies ; for nothing rankles so deeply as the consciousness 
I that an attempt to irritate has been met by contempt, a feeling 
I that is usually the most passive of any that is harbored in the 
I human breast. Rivenoak quietly took the seat we have men- 
I tioned, and after a short pause, he commenced a dialogue, which 
i we translate as usual, for the benefit of those readers who have 
not studied the North American languages. 

“ My pale-face friend is very welcome,” said the Indian, 


316 


THE DEERSLAYER 


with a familiar nod, and a smile so covert that it required all 
Deerslayer’s vigilance to detect, and not a little of his philoso- 
phy to detect unmoved ; “he is welcome. The Hurons° keep a 
hot fire to dry the white man’s clothes.” 

“ I thank you, Huron, or Mingo, as I most like to call you,” 
returned the other ; “I thank you for the welcome, and I thank 
you for the fire. Each is good in its way, and the last is very 
good, when one has been in a spring as cold as the Glimmer- 
glass. Even Huron warmth may be pleasant, at such a time, 
to a man with a Delaware heart.” 

“ The pale-face — but my brother has a name 1 So great a 
warrior would not have lived without a name ? ” 

“ Mingo,” said the hunter, a little of the weakness of human 
nature exhibiting itself in the glance of his eye and the color 
on his cheek, “ Mingo, ^our brave called me Hawkeye, I 
suppose on account of a quick and sartain aim, when he was 
lying with his head in my lap, afore his spirit started for the 
happy hunting-grounds.” 

“ ’T is a good name ! The hawk is sure of his blow. 
Hawkeye is not a woman ; why does he live with the Dela- 
wares 1 ” 

“ I understand you, Mingo, but we look on all that as a 
sarcumvention of some of your subtle devils, and deny the 
charge. Providence placed me among the Delawares young; 
and, ’bating what Christian usages demand of my color and 
gifts, I hope to live and die in their tribe. Still, I do not 
mean to throw away altogether my nati/ve rights, and shall 
strive to do a pale-face’s duty in redskin society.” 

“ Good ! a Huron is a redskin, as well as a Delaware. 
Hawkeye is more of a Huron than of a woman.” 

“ I suppose you know, Mingo, your own meaning ; if you 
don’t, I make no question ’t is well known to Satan. But if 
you wish to get anything out of me, speak plainer, for bar- 
gains cannot be made blindfolded or tongue-tied.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


317 


“ Good ! Hawkeye has not a forked tongue, and he likes to 
say what he thinks. He is an acquaintance of the Muskrat,” 

— this was a name by which all the Indians designated Hutter, 

— “ and he has lived in his wigwam ; hut he is not a friend. 
He wants no scalps, like a miserable Indian, but fights like a 
stout-hearted pale-face. The Muskrat is neither white nor 
red ; neither a beast nor a fish. He is a water-snake ; some- 
times in the spring and sometimes on the land. He looks for 
scalps like an outcast. Hawkeye can go back and tell him how 
he has outwitted the Hurons, how he has escaped ; and when 
his eyes are in a fog, when he can’t see as far as from his cabin 
to the woods, then Hawkeye can open the door for the Hurons. 
And how will the plunder be divided h Why, Hawkeye will 
carry away the most, and the Hurons will take what he may 
choose to leave behind him. The scalps can go to Canada, for 
a pale-face has no satisfaction in themy 

“Well, well, Rivenoak, — for so I hear ’em tarm you, — 
this is plain English enough, though spoken in Iroquois. I 
understand all you mean, now, and must say it out-devils even 
Mingo deviltry ! No doubt, ’t would be easy enough to go back 
and tell the Muskrat that I had got away from you, and gain 
some credit, too, by the expl’ite.” 

“ Good ! that is what I want the pale-face to do.” 

“Yes — yes — that ’s plain enough. I know what you 
want me to do, without more words. When inside the 
house, and eating the Muskrat’s bread, and laughing and talk- 
ing with his pretty darters, I might put his eyes into so 
thick a fog, that he could n’t even see the door, much less the 
land.” 

“ Good ! Hawkeye should have been born a Huron ! His 
blood is not more than half white ! ” 

“ There you ’re out, Huron ; yes, there you ’re as much out, 
as if you mistook a wolf for a catamount. I ’m white in blood, 
heart, natur’, and gifts, though a little redskin in feelin’s and 


318 


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habits. But when old H utter’s eyes are well befogged, and 
his pretty darters, perhaps, in a deep sleep, and Hurry Harry, 
the Great Pine, as you Indians tarm him, is dreaming of any- 
thing but mischief, and all suppose Hawkeye is acting as a 
faithful sentinel, all I have to do is, to set a torch somewhere 
in sight for a signal, open the door, and let in the Hurons to 
knock ’em all on the head.” 

“ Surely my brother is mistaken ; he cannot be white ! 
He is worthy to be a great chief among the Hurons ! ” 

“ That is true enough, I dare to say, if he could do all this. 
Now, harkee, Huron, and for once hear a few honest words 
from the mouth of a plain man. I am a Christian born, and 
them that come of such a stock, and that listen to the words 
that were spoken to their fathers, and will be spoken to 
their children, until ’arth and all it holds perishes, can never 
lend themselves to such wickedness. Sarcuhiventions in war 
may be, and are lawful ; but sarcumventions, and deceit, and 
treachery, among fri’nds, are fit only for the pale-face devils. 
I know that there are white men enough to give you this wrong 
idee of our iiatur’, but such are ontrue to their blood and gifts, 
and ought to be, if they are not, outcasts and vagabonds. No 
upright pale-face could do what you wish, and to be as plain 
with you as I wish to be, in my judgment no upright Delaware 
either ; with a Mingo it may be different.” 

Tlie Huron listened to his rebuke with obvious disgust ; but 
he had his ends in view, and was too wily to lose all chance of 
effecting them by a precipitate avowal of resentment. Affect- 
ing to smile, he seemed to listen eagerly, and he then pondered 
on what he had heard. 

“ Does Hawkeye love the Muskrat ? ” he abruptly demanded ; 
“or does he love his daughters?” 

“ Neither, Mingo. Old Tom is not a man to gain my love ; 
and as for the darters, they are comely enough to gain the 
liking of any young man ; but there ’s reason ag’in any very 


THE DEEESLAYER 319 

great love for either. Hetty is a good soul, but natur’ hac 
laid a heavy hand on her mind, poor thing ! ” 

“And the Wild Rose !” exclaimed the Huron — for the 
fame of Judith’s beauty had spread among those who could 
travel the wilderness as well as the highway, by means of old 
eagles’ nests, rocks, and riven trees, known to them by report 
and tradition, as well as among the white borderers — “ And 
the Wild Rose ; is she not sweet enough to be put in the bosom 
of my brother ? ” 

Deerslayer had far too much of the innate gentleman to insin- 
uate aught against the fair fame of one who, by nature and 
position, was so helpless ; and as he did not choose to utter an 
untruth, he preferred being silent. The Huron mistook tlie 
motive, and supposed that disappointed affection lay at the 
bottom of his reserve. Still bent on corrupting or bribing his 
captive, in order to obtain possession of the treasures with 
which his imagination filled the castle, he persevered in his 
attack. 

“ Hawkeye is talking with a friend,” he continued. “ He 
knows that Rivenoak is a man of his word, for they have 
traded together, and trade opens the soul. My friend has 
come here on account of a little string held by a girl, that can 
pull the whole body of the stoutest warrior ? ” 

“You are nearer tlie truth now, Huron, than you’ve been 
afore, since we began to talk. This is true. But one end of 
that string was not fast to my heart, nor did the Wild Rose 
hold the other.” 

“This is wonderful! Does my brother love in his head, 
and not in his heart ? And- can the Feeble-Mind pull so hard 
against so stout a warrior ? ” 

“ There it is ag'in ; sometimes right and sometimes wrong ! 
The string you mean is fast to the heart of a great Delaware ; 
one of the Mohican stock in fact, living among the Delawares 
since the dispersion of his own people, and of the family of 


320 


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Uncas — Chingachgook by name, or Great Sarpent. He has 
come here, led by the string, and I Ve followed, or rather come 
afore, for I got here first, pulled by nothing stronger than 
friendship; which is strong enough for such as are not nig- 
gardly of their feelin’s, and are willing to live a little for their 
fellow-creatur’s, as well as for themselves.” 

“ But a string has two ends — one is fast to the mind of a 
Mohican, and the other — ? ” 

“ Why the other was here close to the fire, half-an-hour 
since. Wah-ta-Wah held it in her hand, if she did n’t hold it 
to her heart.” 

“I understand what you mean, my brother,” returned the 
Indian, gravely, for the first time catching a direct clue to the 
adventures of the evening. “ The Great Serpent being strong- 
est, pulled the hardest, and Hist was forced to leave us.” 

“ I don’t think there was much pulling about it,” answered 
the other, laughing, always in his silent manner, with as much 
heartiness as if he were not a captive, and in danger of tor- 
ture or death. “ I don’t think there was much pulling about 
it ; no, I don’t. Lord help you, Huron ! he likes the gal, and 
the gal likes him, and it surpassed Huron sarcumventions to 
keep two young people apart when there was so strong a 
feelin’ to bring ’em together.” 

“ And Hawkeye and Chingachgook came into our camp on 
this errand only 1 ” 

“ That ’s a question that ’ll answer itself, Mingo ! Yes, if 
a question could talk, it would answer itself to your perfect 
satisfaction. For what else should we come? And yet, it 
is n’t exactly so, neither ; for we • did n’t come into your camp 
at all, but only as far as that pine, there, that you see on the 
other side of the ridge, where we stood watching your move- 
ments and conduct as long as we liked. When we were ready 
the Sarpent gave his signal, and then all went just as it should, 
down to the moment when yonder vagabond leaped upon my 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


321 


back. Sartain ; we came for that and no other purpose, and 
we got what we came for, there ’s no use in pretending other- 
wise. Hist is off with a man who ’s the next thing to her 
husband, and come what will to me, that ’s one good thing 
detarmined.” 

“ What sign or signal told the young maiden that her lover 
was nigh ? ” asked the old Huron, with more curiosity than it 
was usual for him to betray. 

Deerslayer laughed again, and seemed to enjoy the success 
of the exploit with as much glee as if he had not been its 
victim. 

“ Your squirrels are great gadabouts, Mingo ! ” he cried, 
still laughing — “yes, they’re sartainly great gadabouts! 
When other folks’ squirrels are at home and asleep, your’n 
keep in motion among the trees, and chirrup and sing in a 
way that even a Delaware girl can understand their music ! 
Well, there’s four-legged squirrels, and there’s two-legged 
squirrels, and give me the last, when there ’s a good tight 
string atween two hearts. If one brings ’em together, t’ other 
tells when to pull the hardest.” 

The Huron looked vexed, though he succeeded in suppress- 
ing any violent exhibition of resentment. He soon quitted his 
prisoner, and joining the rest of his warriors, he communi- 
cated the substance of what he had learned. As in his own 
case admiration was mingled with anger at the boldness and 
success of their enemies. Three or four of them ascended the 
little acclivity and gazed at the tree wliere it was understood 
the adventurers had posted themselves, and one even de- 
scended and examined for footprints around its roots, in order 
to make sure that the statement was true. The result con- 
firmed the story of the captive, and they all returned to the 
fire with increased wonder and respect. The messenger, who 
had arrived with some communication from the party above 
while the two adventurers were watching the camp, was now 


322 


TUE EBEnSLAYEU 


despatched with some answer, and doubtless bore with him , 
the intelligence of all that had happened. ; 

Down to this moment, the young Indian who had been j 
seen walking in company with Hist and another female, had f 
made no advances to any communication with Deerslayer. i 
He had held himself aloof from his friends even, passing near 
the bevy of younger women who were clustering together, 
apart as usual, and conversed in low tones on the subject of 
the escape of their late companion. Perhaps it would be true 
to say, that these last were pleased as well as vexed at what had . 
just occurred. Their female sympathies were with the lovers, " 
while their pride was bound up in the success of their own >4 
tribe. It is possible, too, that the superior personal advan- 
tages of Hist rendered her dangerous to some of the younger , 
part of the group, and they were not sorry to find she was no 
longer in the way of their own ascendency. On the whole, 
however, the better feeling was most prevalent ; for neither 
the wild condition in which they lived, the clannish prejudices 
of tribes, nor their hard fortunes as Indian women, could 
entirely conquer the inextinguishable leaning of their sex to 
the affections. One of the girls even laughed at the disconso- 
late look of the swain who might fancy himself deserted, a , 
circumstance that seemed suddenly to arouse his energies, and 
induced him to move towards the log on which the prisoner . 
was still seated, drying his clothes. 

“ This is Catamount ! ” said the Indian, striking his hand 
boastfully on his naked breast as he uttered the words, in a 
manner to show how much weight he expected them to : 
carry. 

“ This is Hawkeye,” quietly returned Deerslayer, adopting 
the name by which he knew he would be known in future 
among all the tribes of the Iroquois. “ My sight is keen ; is 
my brother’s leap long 1 ” 

“From here to the Delaware villages. Hawkeye has sfolen ' 


THE DEERSLAYER 


323 


my wife ; lie must bring her back, or his scalp will hang on a 
pole and dry in my wigwam.” 

“ Hawkeye has . stolen nothing, Huron. He does n’t come 
of a thieving breed, nor has he thieving gifts. Your wife, as 
you call Wah-ta-Wah, will never be the wife of any redskin of 

the Canadas ; her mind is in the cabin of a Delaware, and 

her body has gone to find it. The catamount is act^/ve, I 
know ; but its legs can’t keep pace with a woman’s wishes.” 

“ The Serpent of the Delawares is a dog ; he is a poor bull- 
pout that keeps in the water ; he is afraid to stand on the 
hard earth like a brave Indian ! ” 

“Well, well, Huron, that’s pretty impudent, considering 
it ’s not an hour since the Sarpent stood within a hundred 
feet of you, and would have tried the toughness of your skin 
with a rifle-bullet, when I pointed you out to him, hadn’t I 

laid the weight of a little judgment on his hand. You may 

take in timersome gals in the settlements with your cata- 
mount whine ; but the ears of a man can tell truth from 
on truth.” 

“Hist laughs at him ! She sees he is lame, and a poor 
hunter, and he has never been on a war-path. She will take 
a man for a husband, and not a fool.” 

“ How do you know that. Catamount ? how do you know 
that?” returned Deerslayer, laughing. “She has gone into 
the lake, you see, and maybe she prefers a trout to a mongrel 
cat. As for war-paths, neither the Sarpent nor I have much 
exper’ence, we are ready to own ; but if you don’t call this 
one, you must tarm it what the gals in the settlements tarm 
it, the high road to matrimony. Take my advice. Cata- 
mount, and s’arch for a wife among the Huron women ; 
you’ll never get one with a willing mind from among the 
Delawares.” 

Catamount’s hand felt for his tomahawk, and when the 
fingers reached the handle they worked convulsively, as if their 


324 


THE DEERSLAYER 


owner hesitated betw'een policy and resentment. At this 
critical moment Rivenoak approached, and, by a gesture of 
authority, induced the young man to retire, assuming his 
former position, himself on the log at the side of Deerslayer. 
Here he continued silent for a little time, maintaining the 
grave reserve of an Indian chief. 

“ Hawkeye is right,” the Iroquois at length began ; “ his sight 
is so strong that he can see truth in a dark night, and our eyes 
have been blinded. He is an owl, darkness hiding nothing from 
him. He ought not to strike his friends. He is right.” 

“I’m glad you think so, Mingo,” returned the other, “for 
a traitor, in my judgment, is worse than a coward. I care as 
little for the Muskrat as one pale-face ought to care for another ; 
but I care too much for him to ambush him in the way you 
wished. In short, according to my idees, any sarcumvention, 
except open-war sarcumventions, are ag’in both law, and what 
we whites call ‘gospel,’ too.” 

“ My pale-face brother is right ; he is no Indian to forget his 
Manitou and his color. The Hurons know that they have a 
great warrior for their prisoner, and they will treat him as one. 
If he is to be tortured, his torments shall be such as no com- 
mon man can bear ; if he is to be treated as a friend, it will be 
the friendship of chiefs.” 

As the Huron uttered this extraordinary assurance of con- 
sideration his eye furtively glanced at the countenance of his 
listener, in order to discover how he stood the compliment ; 
though his gravity and apparent sincerity would have pre- 
vented any man but one practised in artifices, from detecting 
his motives. Deerslayer belonged to the class of the unsuspi- 
cious ; and acquainted with the Indian notions of what consti- i 
tuted respect, in matters connected with the treatment of 
captives, he felt his blood chill at the announcement, even : 
while he maintained an aspect so steeled that his quick-sighted ; 
enemy could discover in it no sign of weakness. :j 


THE DEERSLAYER 


325 


“God has put me in your hands, Huron,” the captive at 
length answered, “ and I suppose you will act your will on me. 
I shall not boast of what I can do, under torment, for I Ve 
never been tried, and no man can say till he has been ; but I ’ll 
do my endivors not to disgrace the people among whom I got 
my training. Howsever, I wish you now to bear witness, that 
I ’m altogether of white blood, and, in a nat’ral way, of white 
gifts, too j so, should I be overcome and fo] get myself, I hope 
you ’ll lay the fault where it properly belongs ; and in no man- 
ner put it on the Delawares, or their allies and friends the 
Mohicans. We ’re all created with more or less weakness, and 
I ’m afeard it ’s a pale-face’s to give in under great bodily tor- 
ment, when a redskin will sing his songs, and boast of his 
deeds in the very teeth of his foes ! ” 

“ We shall see. Hawkeye has a good countenance, and he 
is tough — but why should he be tormented when the Hurons 
love him ? He is not born their enemy ; and the death of one 
warrior will not cast a cloud between them, forever.” 

“ So much the better, Huron ; so much the better. Still, 
I don’t wish to owe anything to a mistake about each other’s 
meaning. It is so much the better that you bear no malice for 
the loss of a warrior who fell in war ; and yet it is ontrue that 
there is no inmity — lawful inmity, I mean, atween us. So far 
as I have redskin feelin’s at all, I ’ve Delaware feelin’s ; and I 
leave you to judge for yourself, how far they are likely to be 
fri’ndly to the Mingos — ” 

Deerslayer ceased, for a sort of spectre stood before him that 
put a stop to his words, and, indeed, caused him for a moment 
to doubt the fidelity of his boasted vision. Hetty Hutter was 
standing at the side of the fire, as quietly as if she belonged to 
the tribe. 

As the hunter and the Indian sat watching the emotions 
that were betrayed in each other’s countenance the girl had 
approached unnoticed, doubtless ascending the beach on the 


326 


THE DEERSLAYER 


southern side of the point, or that next to the spot where the 
ark had anchored, and had advanced to the fire with the , 
fearlessness that belonged to her simplicity, and which was j 
certainly justified by the treatment formerly received from the j 
Indians. As soon as Rivenoak perceived the girl 'she was 
recognized, -and calling to two or three of the young warriors, 
the chief sent them out to reconnoitre, lest her appearance 
should be the forerunner of another attack. He then motioned 
to Hetty to draw near. 

“ I hope your visit is a sign that the Sarpent and Hist are 
in safety, Hetty,” said Deerslayer, as soon as the girl had com- 
plied with the Huron’s request. “ I don’t think you ’d come 
ashore ag’in on the arr’nd that brought you here afore.” 

“ Judith told me to come this time, Deerslayer,” Hetty 
replied ; “ she paddled me ashore herself, in a canoe, as soon as , 
the Serpent had shown her Hist, and told his story. How 
handsome Hist is to-night, Deerslayer, and how much happier 
she looks than when she was with the Hurons ! ” 

“ That ’s natur’, gal ; yes, that may be set down as human 
natur’. She ’s with her betrothed, and no longer fears a Mingo 
husband. In my judgment, Judith herself would lose most 
of her beauty if she thought she was to bestow it all on a 
Mingo ! Content is a great fortifier of good looks ; and I ’ll 
warrant you. Hist is contented enough now she is out of the j 
hands of these miscreants and with her chosen warrior ! Did 
you say that your sister told you to come ashore — w^hy should 
Judith do that?” 

“ She bid me come to see you, and to try and persuade the 
savages to take more elephants to let you off; but I ’ve brought 
the Bible with me — that will do more than all the elephants 
in father’s chest ! ” 

“ And your father, good little Hetty — and Hurry ; did they 
know of your arr’nd ? ” 

“ Nothinsr. Both are asleep ; and Judith and the Serpent 


THE DEERSLAYER 


327 


thought it best they should not be woke, lest they might want 
to come again after scalps, when Hist had told them how few 
warriors, and how many women and children there were in the 
camp. Judith would give me no peace till I had come ashore, 
to see what had happened to ^ou.” 

“ Well, that ’s remarkable as consarns Judith ! Why should 
she feel so much unsartainty about me ? Ah, I see how it is 
now ; yes, I see into the whole matter now. You must under- 
stand, Hetty, that your sister is oneasy lest Harry March 
should wake, and come blundering here into the hands of the 
inimy ag’in, under some idee that, being a travelling comrade, 
he ought to help me in this matter ! Hurry is a blunderer, I 
will allow ; but I don’t think he ’d risk as much for my sake as 
he would for his own.” 

“Judith don’t care for Hurry, though Hurry cares for her,” 
replied Hetty, innocently, but quite positively. 

“ I ’ve heard you say as much as that afore ; yes, I ’ve heard 
that from you afore, gal, and yet it is n’t true. One don’t live 
in a tribe, not to see something of the way in which liking 
works in a woman’s heart. Though no way given to marrying 
mysolf, I ’ve been a looker-on among the Delawares, and this 
is a; matter in which pale-face and redskin gifts are all as one 
the. same. When the feelin’ begins, the young woman is 
tlnoughtful, and has no eyes or ears onless for the warrior that 
h^as taken her fancy ; then follows melancholy and sighing, and 
Such sort of actions ; after which, especially if matters don’t 
'"come to a plain discourse, she often dies round to backbiting 
^and fault-finding, blaming the youth for the very things she 
/likes best in him. Some young creatur’s are forward in this 
way of showing their love, and I ’m of opinion Judith is one of 
’em. Now I ’ve heard her as much as deny that Hurry was 
good-looking ; and the young woman who could do that, must 
be far gone indeed.” 

“ The young woman who liked Hurry would own that he is 


328 


THE EEERSLAYER 


handsome. I think Hurry very handsome, Deerslayer, and I ’m 
sure everybody must think so that has eyes. Judith don’t like 
Harry March, and that ’s the reason she finds fault with him.” 

“Well — well — my good little Hetty, have it your own 
way. If we should talk from now till winter, each would 

think as at present; and there’s no use in words. I must 

believe that Judith is much wrapped up in Hurry, and that 

sooner or later she ’ll have him ; and this, too, all the more 

from the manner in which she abases him ; and I dare to say, 
you think just the contrary. But mind what I now tell you, 
gal, and pretend not to know it,” continued this being, who 
was so obtuse on a point on which men are usually quick 
enough to make discoveries, and so acute in matters that would 
baffle the observation of much the greater portion of mankind ; 
“I see how it is with them vagabonds. Rivenoak has left us, 
you see, and is talking yonder with his young men ; and 
' though too far to be heard, I can see what he is telling them. 
Their orders is to watch your movements, and to find where 
the canoe is to meet you, to take you back to the ark, and then 
to seize all and what they can. I’m sorry Judith sent- you, 
for I suppose she wants you to go back ag’in.” 

“All that’s settled, Deerslayer,” returned the girl in a low, 
confidential, and meaning manner ; “and you may trust me to 
outwit the best Indian of them all. I know I am feeble-minded, 
but I ’ve got some sense, and you ’ll see how I ’ll use it in get- { 
ting back, when my errand is done ! ” \ < 

“ Ah ’s me ! poor girl ; I ’m afeard all that ’s easier said than , 
done. They ’re a venomous set of riptyles, and their pi’son ’s 
none the milder for the loss of Hist. Well, I ’m glad the Sar- 
pent was the* one to get oft* with the gal ; for now they ’ll be , 
two happy, at least ; whereas had he fallen into the hands of 
the Mingos, there ’d be two miserable, and another far from 
feelin’ as a man likes to feel.” 

“ Now you put me in mind of a part of my erra,nd, that I / 


THE DEERSLAYER 


329 


had almost forgotten, Deerslayer. Judith told me to ask you 
what you thought the Hurons would do with you if you could n’t 
be bought off, and what she had best do to serve you. Yes, this 
was the most important part of the errand — what she had best 
do in order to serve you.” 

“ That ’s as you think, Hetty ; but it ’s no matter. Young 
women are apt to lay most stress on what most touches their 
feelin’s ; but no matter ; have it your own way, so you be but 
careful not to let the vagabonds get the mastery of a canoe. 
When you get back to the ark, tell ’em to keep close, and to 
keep moving too, most especially at night. Many hours can’t 
go by without the troops on the river hearing of tliis party, and 
then your fri’nds may look for relief. ’T is but a day’s march 
from the nearest garrison, and true soldiers will never lie idle 
with the foe in their neighborhood. This is my advice, and 
you must say to your father and Hurry that scalp-hunting will 
be a poor business now, as the Mingos are up and awake, and 
nothing can save ’em ’till the troops come, except keeping a 
good belt of water atween ’em and the savages.” 

“What shall I tell Judith about you, Deerslayer? I know 
she will send me back again, if I don’t bring her the tmth 
about yoM.” 

“ Then tell her the truth. I see no reason Judith Hutter 
shouldn’t hear the truth about me as well as a lie. I’m a 
captyve in Indian hands, and Providence only knows what will 
come of it ! Harkee, Hetty,” dropping his voice and speaking 
still more confidentially, “ you are a little weak-minded, it must 
be allowed, but you know something of Injins. Here I am in 
their hands, after having slain one of their stoutest warriors, 
and they’ve been endivoring to work upon me, through fear 
of consequences, to betray your father and all in the ark. 
I understand the blackguards as well as if they told it all out 
plainly with their tongues. They hold up avarice afore me on 
one side, and fear on t’ other, and think honesty will give way 


330 


THE DEERSLAYER 


atween ’em both. But let your father and Hurry know ’t is 
all useless ; as for the Sarpent, he knows it already.” 

“ But what shall I tell Judith ? She will certainly send 
me back if I don’t satisfy her mind.” 

“ Well, tell Judith the same. No doubt the savages will 
try the torments to make me give in, and to revenge the loss 
of their warrior, but I must hold out ag’in nat’ral weakness 
in the best manner I can. You may tell Judith to feel no con- 
sarn on my account — it will come hard, I know, seeing that a 
white man’s gifts don’t run to boasting and singing under tor- 
ment, for he generally feels smallest when he suffers most — 
but you may tell her not to have any consarn. I think I shall 
make out to stand it ; and she may rely on this, let me give in 
as much as I may, and prove completely that I am white, by 
wailings, and bowlings, and even tears, yet I ’ll never fall so 
far as to betray my fri’nds. When it gets to burning holes in 
the flesh with heated ramrods, and to hacking the body, and 
tearing the hair out by the roots, natur’ may get the upper- 
hand, so far as groans and complaints are consarned, but there 
the triumph of the vagabonds will ind ; nothing short of God’s 
abandoning him to the devils, can make an honest man ontrue 
to his color and duty.” 

Hetty listened with great attention, and her mild but speak- 
ing countenance manifested a strong sympathy in the antici- 
pated agony of the supposititious sufferer. At first she seemed 
at a loss how to act ; then, taking a hand of Deerslayer’s, she 
affectionately recommended to him to borrow her Bible, and to 
read it while the savages were inflicting their torments. When 
the other honestly admitted that it exceeded his power to read, 
she even volunteered to remain with him, and to perform this 
holy office in person. The offer was gently declined, and 
Rivenoak being about to join them, Deerslayer requested the 
girl to leave him, first enjoining her again to tell those in the 
ark to hav^e full confidence in his fidelity. Hetty now walked 


THE DEERSLAYKR 


331 


away, and approached the group of females with as much con- 
fidence and self-possession as if she were a native of the tribe. 
On the other hand, the Huron resumed his seat by the side of 
his prisoner, the one continuing to ask questions, with all the 
wily ingenuity of a practised Indian counsellor, and the other 
baffling him by the very means that are known to be the most 
efficacious in defeating the finesse of the more pretending diplo- 
macy of civilization, by confining his answers to the truth, and 
the truth only. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


“ Thus died she ; never more on her 
Shall sorrow light, or shame. She was not made 
Through years or moons the inner weight to hear, 

Which colder hearts endure till they are laid 
By age in earth ; her days and pleasures were 
Brief but delightful — such as had not stayed 
Long with her destiny ; but she sleeps well 
By the sea-shore whereon she loved to dwell.” 

Byron. 

The young men who had been sent out to reconnoitre, on 
the sudden appearance of Hetty, soon returned to report their 
want of success in making any discovery. ' One of them had 
even been along the beach as far as the spot opposite to the 
ark, but the darkness completely concealed that vessel from his 
notice. Others had examined in different directions, and every- 
where the stillness of night was added to the silence and soli- 
tude of the woods. It was consequently believed that the girl 
had come alone, as on her former visit, and on some similar 
errand. The Iroquois were ignorant that the ark had left the 
castle, and there were movements projected, if not in the course 
of actual execution by this time, which also greatly added to 


332 


THE DEERSLAYER 


the sense of security. A watch was set, therefore, and all but 
the sentinels disposed themselves to sleep. 

Sufficient care was had to the safe keeping of the captive 
without inflicting on him any unnecessary suffering ; and as 
for Hetty, she was permitted to find a place among the Indian 
girls, in the best manner she could. She did not find the 
friendly offices of Hist, though her character not only bestow^ed 
impunity from pain and captivity, but it procured for her a 
consideration and an attention that placed her, on the score 
of comfort, quite on a level with the wild but gentle beings 
around her. She was supplied with a skin, and made her own 
bed on a pile of boughs a little apart from the huts. Here she 
was soon in a profound sleep, like all around her. 

There were now thirteen men in the party, and three kept 
watch at a time. One remained in shadow, not far from the 
fire, however. His duty was to guard the captive, to take 
care that the fire neither blazed up so as to illuminate the 
spot, nor yet became wholly extinguished ; and to keep an eye 
generally on the state of the camp. Another passed from 
one beach to the other, crossing the base of the point ; while 
the third kept moving slowly around the strand on its outer 
extremity, to prevent a repetition of the surprise that had 
already taken place that night. This arrangement w^as far 
from being usual among savages, who ordinarily rely more 
on the secrecy of their movements than on vigilance of this 
nature ; but it had been called for by the peculiarity of the 
circumstances in which the Hurons were now placed. Their 
position was known to their foes, and it could not easily be 
changed at an hour which demanded rest. Perhaps,. too, they 
placed most of their confidence on the knowledge of what they 
believed to be passing higher up the lake, and which, it was 
thought, would fully occupy the whole of the pale-faces, who 
were at liberty, with their solitary Indian ally. It was also 
probable, Rivenoak was aware, that, in holding his captive, 


THE HEERSLAYER 333 

he had in his own hands the most dangerous of all his 
enemies. 

The precision with which those accustomed to watchfulness, 
or lives of disturbed rest, sleep, is not the least of the phe- 
nomena of our mysterious being. The head is no sooner on the 
pillow than consciousness is lost ; and yet, at a necessary hour 
the mind appears to arouse the body as promptly as if it had 
stood sentinel over it the while. There can be no doubt that 
they who are thus roused awake by the influence of thought 
over matter, though the mode in which this influence is 
exercised must remain hidden from our curiosity until it shall 
be explained, should that hour ever arrive, by the entire en- 
lightenment of the soul on the subject of all human mysteries. 
Thus it was with Hetty Hutter. Feeble as the immaterial 
portion of her existence was thought to be, it was sufficiently 
active to cause her to open her eyes at midnight. At that 
hour she awoke, and leaving her bed of skin and boughs, she 
walked innocently and openly to the embers of the fire, stirring 
the latter, as the coolness of the night and the woods, in con- 
nection with an exceedingly unsophisticated bed, had a little 
chilled her. As the flame shot up, it lighted the swarthy 
countenance of the Huron on watch, whose dark eyes glistened 
under its light, like the balls of a panther that is pursued to 
his den with burning brands. But Hetty felt no fear, and she 
approached the spot where the Indian stood. Her movements 
were so natural, and so perfectly devoid of any of the stealthi- 
ness of cunning or deception, that he imagined she had merely 
arisen on account of the coolness of the night, a common 
occurrence in a bivouac, and the one of all others, perhaps, the 
least likely to excite suspicion. Hetty spoke to him, but he 
understood no English. She then gazed near a minute at the 
sleeping captive, and moved slowly away in a sad and melan- 
choly manner. 

The girl took no pains to conceal her movements. Any 


334 


THE DEERSLAYER 


ingenious expedient of this nature, quite likely, exceeded her 
powers ; still her step was habitually light, and scarcely audible. 
As she took the direction of the extremity of the point, or the 
place where she had lauded in the first adventure, and where 
Hist had embarked, the sentinel saw her light form gradually 
disappear in the gloom without uneasiness or changing his own 
position. He knew that others were on the look-out, and he 
did not believe that one who had twice come into the camp 
voluntarily, and had already left it openly, would take refuge 
in flight. In short, the conduct of the girl excited no more 
attention than that of any person of feeble intellect would 
excite in civilized society, while her person met with more 
consideration and respect. 

Hetty certainly had no very distinct notions of the localities, 
but she found her way to the beach, which she reached on the 
same side of the point as that on which the camp had been 
made. By following the margin of the water, taking a northern 
direction, she soon encountered the Indian who paced the strand 
as sentinel. This was a young warrior, and when he heard 
her light tread coming along the gravel he approached swiftly, 
though with anything but menace in his manner. The dark- 
ness was so intense that it was not easy to discover forms, 
within the shadows of the woods, at the distance of twenty 
feet, and quite impossible to distinguish persons until near 
enough to touch them. The young Huron manifested disap- 
pointment when he found whom he had met ; for, truth to say, 
he was expecting his favorite, who had promised to relieve the 
ennui of a midnight watch with her presence. This man was 
also ignorant of English, but he was at no loss to understand 
why the girl should be up at that hour. Such things were 
usual in an Indian village and camp, where sleep is 'as irregular 
as the meals. Then poor Hetty’s known imbecility, as in most 
things connected with the savages, stood her friend on this 
occasion. Vexed at his disappointment, and impatient of the 


THE DEERSLAYER 


335 


presence of one he thought an intruder, the young warrior 
signed for the girl to move forward, holding the direction of 
the beach. Hetty complied ; but, as she walked away, she 
spoke aloud in English, in her usual soft tones, w'hich the 
stillness of the night made audible at some little distance. 

“ If you took me for a Huron girl, warrior,” she said, “ I 
don’t wonder you are so little pleased. I am Hetty Hutter, 
Thomas Hutter’s daughter, and have never met any man at 
night, for mother always said it was wrong, and modest young 
women should never do it ; modest young women of the pale- 
faces, I mean ; for customs are different in different parts of 
the wmrld, I know. No, no ; I ’m Hetty Hutter, and would n’t 
meet even Hurry Harry, though he should fall down on his 
knees and ask me ! mother said it was wrong.” 

By the time Hetty had said this, she reached the place where 
the canoes had come ashore, and, owing to the curvature of the 
land and the bushes, would have been completely hid from 
the sight of the sentinel, had it been broad day. But another 
footstep caught the lover’s ear, and he was already nearly be- 
yond the sound of the girl’s silvery voice. Still Hetty, bent 
only on her own thoughts and purposes, continued to speak, 
though the gentleness of her tones prevented the sounds from 
j)enetrating far into the woods. On the water they were more 
widely diffused. 

“ Here I am, Judith,” she added, “ and there is no one near 
me. The Huron on watch has gone to meet his sweetheart, 
who is an Indian girl, you know, and never had a Christian 
mother to tell her how wrong it is to meet a man at night — ” 

Hetty’s voice was hushed by a “ Hist ! ” that came from 
the water, and then she caught a dim view of the canoe, which 
approached noiselessly, and soon grated on the shingle with its 
bow. The moment the weight of Hetty was felt in the light 
cnift, the canoe withdrew, stern foremost, as if possessed of 
life and volition, until it was a hundred yards from the shore. 


336 


THE DEERSLAYER 


Then it turned, and making a wide sweep, as much to prolong 
the passage as to get beyond the sound of voices, it held its 
way towards the ark. For several minutes nothing was ut- 
tered ; but, believing herself to be in a favorable position to 
confer with her sister, Judith, who alone sat in the stern, man- 
aging the canoe with a skill little short of that of a man, began 
a discourse which she had been burning to commence ever since 
they quitted the point. 

“ Here we are safe, Hetty,” she said, “ and may talk without 
the fear of being overheard. You must speak low", how"ever, for 
sounds are heard far on the water in a still night. I was so 
close to the point, some of the time, while you were on it, that 
I have heard the voices of the warriors, and I heard your shoes 
on the gravel of the beach, even before you spoke.” 

“ I don’t believe, Judith, the Hurons know I have left them.” 

“ Quite likely they do not, for a lover makes a poor sentry, 
unless it be to watch for his sweetheart. But tell me, Hetty, 
did you see and speak with Deerslayer ? ” 

“ 0, yes, there he was seated near the fire, w-ith his legs tied, 
though they left his arms free to move them as he pleased.” 

“Well, what did he tell you, child? Speak quick; I am 
dying to know what message he sent me.” 

“What did he tell me? why, what do you think, Judith; 
he told me that he could n’t read ! Only think of that ; a white 
man, and not know how to read his Bible, even ! He never 
could have had a mother, sister ! ” 

“ Never mind that, Hetty. All men can’t read, though 
mother knew so much, and taught us so much ; father know^s 
very little about books, and he can barely read the Bible, you 
know.” 

“ 0 ! I never thought fathers could read much, but mothers 
ought all to read, else how can they teach their children? 
Depend on it, Judith, Deerslayer could never have had a 
mother, else he would know how to read.” 


THE DEERSLA YER 


337 




“Did you tell him I sent you ashore, Hetty, and how 
much concern I feel for his misfortune ? ’’ asked the other, 
impatiently. 

“ I believe I did, Judith ; but you know I am feeble-minded, 
and I may have forgotten. I did tell him you brought me 
ashore. And he told me a great deal that I was to say to 
you, which I remember well, for it made my blood run cold to 
hear him. He told me to say that his friends — I suppose 
you are one of them, sister — 'i ” 

“ How can you torment me thus, Hetty ! Certainly, I am 
one of the truest friends he has on earth.” 
j “ Torment you ! yes, now I remember all about it. I am 
glad you used that word, Judith, for it brings it all back to 
my mind. Well, he said he might be tormented by the sav- 
j ages, but he would try to bear it as becomes a Christian white 
man, and that no one need be afeard — why does Deerslayer 
, call it afeard, when mother always taught us to say afraid ? ” 

; “ Never mind, dear Hetty, never mind that now ! ” cried the 

\ other, almost gasping for breath. “ Did Deerslayer really tell 
I you that he thought the savages would put him to the torture ? 

! Recollect now, well, Hetty, for this is a most awful and serious 
thing.” 

“Yes, he did ; and I remember it by your speaking about my 
tormenting you. 0 ! I felt very sorry for him, and Deerslayer 
took all so quietly and without noise ! Deerslayer is not as 
handsome as Hurry Harry, Judith, but he is more quiet.” 

“ He ’s worth a million Hurrys ! yes, he ’s worth all the 
young men who ever came upon the lake put together,” said 
Judith, with an energy and positiveness that caused her sister 
to wonder. “ He is true. There is no lie about Deerslayer. 
You, Hetty, may not know what a merit it is in a man to 
have tnith, but when you get — no — I hope you will never 
know it. Why should one like you be. ever made to learn the 
hard lesson to distrust and hate ! ” 


z 


338 


THE DEERSLA YER 


Judith bowed her face, dark as it was, and unseen as she 
must have been, by any eye but that of Omniscience, between 
her hands, and groaned. This sudden paroxysm of feeling, 
however, lasted but for a moment, and she continued more 
calmly, still speaking frankly to her sister, wdiose intelligence 
and whose discretion in anything that related to herself, she 
did not in the least distrust. Her voice, however, was low and 
husky, instead of having its former clearness and animation. 

“It is a hard thing to fear truth, Hetty,” she said; “and 
yet do I more dread Deerslayer’s truth, than any enemy ! One 
cannot tamper with such truth — so much honesty — sucli 
obstinate uprightness ! But we are not altogether unequal, 
sister — Deerslayer and I ? He is not altogether my superior ? ” 

It was not usual for Judith so far to demean herself as to 
a|>peal to Hetty’s judgment. Nor did she often address her 
by the title of sister, a distinction that is commonly given by 
the junior to the senior, even where there is a perfect equality 
in all other respects. As trifling departures from habitual de- 
portment oftener strike the imagination than more imiiortant 
changes, Hetty perceived the circumstances, and wondered at i 
them in her own simple way. 

Her ambition was a little quickened, and the answer was as 
much out of the usual course of things as the question ; the 
poor girl attempting to refine beyond her strength. 

“ Superior, Judith ! ” she repeated Avith pride. “ In what 
can Deerslayer be your superior ? Are you not mother’s child 
— and does he know how to read — and was n’t mother before 
any woman in all this })art of the world? I should think, so 
far from supposing himself your superior, he Avould hardly 
believe himself 7uine. You are handsome, and he is ugly — ” 
“No, not ugly, Hetty,” interrupted Judith; “only plain. 
But his honest face has a look in it that is far better than 
beauty. In my eyes Deerslayer is handsomer than Hurry 
Harry.” 


THE DKERSLA YER 


339 


“Judith Hutter ! you frighten me. Hurry is the handsom- 
i: est mortal in the world — even handsomer than you are your- 
I self ; because a man’s good looks, you know, are always better 
|; than a woman’s good looks.” 

This little innocent touch of natural taste did not please the 
I elder sister at the moment, and she did not scruple to betray it. 

“ Hetty, you now speak foolishly, and had better say no 
i more on this subject,” she answered. “ Hurry is not the 
i handsomest mortal in the world, by many ; and there are 
ohicers in the garrisons” — Judith stammered at the words — 
“ there are officers in the garrisons near us, far comelier than he. 
But why do you think me the equal of Deerslayer ? — speak of 
that, for I do not like to hear you show so much admiration 
of a man like Hurry Harry, who has neither feelings, manners, 
nor conscience. You are too good for him, and he ought to be 
told it at once.” 

“ / / Judith, how you forget ! Why, I am not beautiful, and 
am feeble-minded.” 

“You are good, Hetty, and that is more than can be said of 
Henry March. He may have a face, and a body, but he has 
[ no heart. But enough of this, for the present. Tell me what 
raises me to an equality with Deerslayer.” 

“To think of you asking me this, Judith ! He can’t read, 
i and you can. He don’t know how to talk, but speaks worse 
than Hurry even ; for, sister, Harry does n’t always pronounce 
liis words right ! Did you ever notice that ? ” 

“Certainly, he is as coarse in speech as in everything else. 
But I fear you flatter me, Hetty, when you think I can be 
justly called the equal of a man like Deerslayer. It is true, 
I have been better taught ; in one sense am more comely, and 
perhaps might look higher ; but then his truth — his truth — 
makes a fearful difference between us ! Well, I will talk no 
more of this ; and we will bethink us of the means of getting 
him out of the hands of the Hurons. We have father’s chest 


340 


THE DEERSLAYER 


in the ark, Hetty, and might try the temptation of more ele- 
phants ; though I fear such baubles will not buy the liberty 
of a man like Deerslayer. I am afraid father and Hurry will 
not be as willing to ransom Deerslayer, as Deerslayer was to 
ransom them ! ” 

“ Why not, Judith ? Hurry and Deerslayer are friends, and 
friends should always help one another.” 

“ Alas, poor Hetty, you little know mankind ! Seeming 
friends are often more to be dreaded than open enemies ; par- 
ticularly by females. But you ’ll have to land in the morning, 
and try again what can be done for Deerslayer. Tortured he 
shall not be, while Judith Hutter lives, and can find means to 
prevent it.” 

The conversation now grew desultory, and was drawn out, 
until the elder sister had extracted from the younger every fact 
the feeble faculties of the latter permitted her to retain, and to 
communicate. When Judith was satisfied — though she could 
never be said to be satisfied, whose feelings seemed to be so 
interwoven with all that related to the subject, as to have ex- 
cited a nearly inappeasable curiosity — but, when Judith could 
think of no more questions to ask, without resorting to repeti- 
tion, the canoe was paddled towards the scow. The intense 
darkness of the night, and the deep shadows which the hills 
and forest cast upon the water, rendered it difficult to find the 
vessel, anchored, as it had been, as close to the shore as a regard 
to safety rendered prudent. Judith was expert in the manage- 
ment of a bark canoe, the lightness of wdfich demanded skill ^ 
rather than strength ; and she forced her own little vessel j 
swiftly over the water, the moment she had ended lier confer- I 
ence with Hetty, and had come to the determination to return. : 
Still no ark was seen. Several times the sisters fancied they i 
saw it looming up in the obscurity, like a low black rock, but ' 
on each occasion it M\as found to be either an optical illusion or i 
some swell of the foliage on the shore. After a search that 


THE DEE RSI. A YER 341 

lasted half-an-hour, the girls were forced to the unwelcome con- 
viction that the ark had departed. 

Most young women would have felt the awkwardness of their 
situation, in a physical sense, under the circumstances in which 
the sisters were left, more than any apprehension of a dilierent 
nature. Not so with Judith, however; and even Hetty felt 
more concern about the motives that might have influenced her 
father and Hurry, than any fears for her own safety. 

“It cannot be, Hetty,” said Judith, when a thorough search 
had satisfied them both that no ark was to be found, “it can- 
not be that the Indians have rafted, or swum off, and suriDrised 
our friends as they slept ? ” 

“I don’t believe that Hist and Chingachgook would sleep 
until they had told each other all they had to say after so long 
a separation — do you, sister ? ” 

“ Perhaps not, child. There was much to keep them awake, 
but one Indian may have been surprised even when not asleep, 
especially as his thoughts may have been on other things. Still 
we should have heard a noise ; for in a night like this, an oath 
of Hurry Harry’s would have echoed in the eastern hills like a 
clap of thunder.” 

“ Hurry is sinful and thoughtless about his words, Judith,” 
Hetty meekly and son’owfully answered. 

“ No — no ; ’tis impossible the ark could be taken and I not 
hear the noise. It is not an hour since I left it, and the whole 
time I have been attentive to tlie smallest sound. And yet, it 
is not easy to believe a father would Avillingly abandon his 
children ! ” 

“ Perhaps father has thought us in our cabin, asleep, Judith, 
and has moved away to go home. You know we often move 
the ark in the night.” 

“ This is true, Hetty, and it must be as you suppose. There 
is a little more southern air than there Avas, and they have gone 
up the lake — ^ ” 


342 


THE DEERSLAYER 


Judith stopped, for, as the last word was on her tongue, the 
scene was suddenly lighted, though only for a single instant, by i 
a flash. The crack of a rifle succeeded, and then followed the j 
roll of the echo along the eastern mountains. Almost at the 
same moment a piercing female cry arose in the air in ,a pro- 
longed shriek. The awful stillness that succeeded was, if pos- 
sible, more appalling than the fierce and sudden interruption 
of the deep silence of midnight. Resolute as she was both by 
nature and habit, Judith scarce breathed, while poor Hetty hid 
her face and trembled. 

“That was a woman’s cry, Hetty,” said the former, solemnly, 

“ and it was a cry of anguish ! If the ark has moved from this 
spot, it can only have gone north with this air, and the gun 
and shriek came from the point. Can anything have befallen 
Hist?” 

“Let us go and see, Judith; she may want our assistance — ' 
for besides herself, there are none but men in the ark.” I 

It was not a moment for hesitation, and ere Judith had 
ceased speaking her paddle was in the water. The distance I 
to the point, in a direct line, was not great, and the impulses 
under which the girls worked were too exciting to allow them 
to waste the precious moments in useless precautions. They 
paddled incautiously for them, but the same excitement kept 
others from noting their movements. Presently a glare of light 
caught the eye of Judith through an opening in the bushes, and 
steering by it she so directed the canoe as to keep it visible, 
while she got as near the land as was either prudent or necessary. | 

The scene that was now presented to the observation of the ' i 
girls was within the woods, on the side of the declivity so often 
mentioned, and in plain view from the boat. Here all in the 
camp were collected, some six or eight carrying torches of fat- 
pine, which cast a strong but funereal light on all beneath the 
arches of the forest. With her back supported against a tree, 
and sustained on one side by the young sentinel whose remissness 


THE DEERSLAYER 


343 


I had suffered Hetty to escape, sat the female whose expected 
i visit had produced his delinquency. By the glare of the torch 
I that was held near her face, it was evident that she was in the 
[ agonies of death, while the blood that trickled from her bared 
i, bosom betrayed the nature of the injury she had received. The 
' pungent, peculiar smell of gunpowder, too, was still quite per- 
. ceptible in the heavy, damp night air. There could be no 
I question that she had been shot. Judith understood it all at 
j a glance. The streak of light had appeared on the water a 
I short distance from the point, and either the rifle had been dis- 
' charged from a canoe hovering near the land, or it had been 
fired from the ark in passing. An incautious exclamation or 
laugh may have produced the assault, for it w’as barely possible 
that the aim had been assisted by any other agent than sound. 
As to the effect, that was soon still more apparent, the head of 
the victim dropping, and the body sinking in death. Then all 
the torches but one were extinguished — a measure of pru- 
dence; and the melancholy train that bore the body to the 
camp was just to be distinguished by the glimmering light that 
remained. 

Judith sighed heavily and shuddered, as her paddle again 
dipped, and the canoe moved cautiously around the point. A 
sight had afflicted her senses, and now haunted her imagination, 
that was still harder to be borne than even the untimely fate 
and passing agony of the deceased girl. She had seen, under 
the strong glare of all the torches, the erect form of Deerslayer, 
standing, with commiseration, and, as she thought, with shame 
depicted on his countenance, near the dying female. He 
betrayed neither fear nor backwardness, hirriHelf ; but it was 
apparent by the glances cast at him by the warriors that fierce 
passions w’-ere struggling in their bosoms. All this seemed to 
be unheeded by the captive, but it remained impressed on the 
memory of Judith throughout the night. 

No canoe Avas met hovering near the point. A stillness and 


344 


THE DEERSLAYER 


darkness, as complete as if the silence of the forest had never j 
been disturbed, or the sun had never shone on that retired | 
region, now reigned on the point, and on the gloomy water, the | 
slumbering woods, and even the murky sky. No more could 
be done, therefore, than to seek a place of safety ; and this was 
only to be found in the centre of the lake. Paddling, in silence, 
to that spot, the canoe was sutiered to drift northerly, while i 
the girls sought such repose as their situation and feelings j 
would permit. j 


CHAPTER XIX I 

I 

“ Stand to your arras, and guard the door — all ’s lost | 

Unless that fearful bell be silenced soon. 

The officer hath missed his path, or purpose, 

Or met some unforeseen and hideous obstacle. I 

Anselmo, with thy company proceed I 

Sti'aight to the tower; the rest remain with me.” ' 

Marino Faliero, 

The conjecture of Judith Hutter concerning the manner in j 
which the Indian girl had met her death, was accurate in the | 
main. After sleeping several hours, her father and March j 
awoke. This occurred a few minutes after she had left the ark 
to go in quest of her sister, and when of course Chingachgook I 

and his betrothed were on board. From the Delaware the old j 

man learned the position of the camp, and the recent events, as j 
well as the absence of his daughters. The latter gave him no 
concern ; for he relied greatly on the sagacity of the eldest, and 
the known impunity with which the younger passed among the ■ 
savages. Long familiarity with danger, too, had blunted his 
sensibilities. Nor did he seem much to regret the captivity of 
Deerslayer ; for while he knew how material his aid might be 
in a defence, the difference in their views on the morality of the 


THE DEEHSLATER 


345 


woods had not left much sympathy between them. He would 
have rejoiced to know the position of the camp before it had 
been alarmed by the escape of Hist, but it would be too hazard- 
ous now to venture to land ; and he reluctantly relinquished for 
the night the ruthless designs that captivity and revenge had 
excited him to entertain. In this mood Hutter took a seat in 
the head of the scow, where he was quickly joined by Hurry ; 
leaving tlie Serpent and Hist in quiet possession of the other 
! extremity of the vessel. 

j “ Deerslayer has shown himself a boy, in going among the 
f savages at this hour, and letting himself fall into their hands 
I like a deer that tumbles into a pit,” growled the old man, per- 
i ceiving as usual the mote in his neighbor’s eyes, while he over- 
I looked the beam in his own. “If he is left to pay for his 
i stupidity with his own flesh, he can blame no one but himself.” 

■ “ That ’s the way of the world, old Tom,” returned Hurry. 

; “ Every man must meet his own debts, and answer for his own 
I sins. I ’m amazed, however, that a lad as skilful and watchful 
' as Deerslayer, should have been caught in such a trap ! Did n’t 
he know any better than to go prowling about a Huron camp, 
at midnight, witli no place to retreat to but a lake ? or did he 
think himself a buck, that by taking to the water could throw 
off the scent and swim himself out of difficulty ? I had a bet- 
ter opinion of the boy’s judgment, I ’ll own ; but we must 
overlook a little ignorance in a raw hand. I say. Master Hut- 
ter, do you happen to know what has become of the gals? I 
see no signs of Judith or Hetty, though I ’ve been through the 
ark, and looked into all its living creatur’s.” 

Hutter briefly explained the manner in which his daughters 
had taken to the canoe, as it had been related by the Delaware, 
as well as the return of Judith after landing her sister, and her 
second departure. 

“ This comes of a smooth tongue. Floating Tom,” exclaimed 
Hurry, grating his teeth in pure resentment — “ this comes of 


346 


THE DEERSLAYER 


a smooth tongue, and a silly gal’s inclinations — and you had j 
best look into the matter ! You and I were both prisoners,” | 
— Hurry could recall that circumstance now, — “ you and I j 
were both prisoners, and yet Judith never stirred an inch to do !1 
us any sarvice ! She is bewitched with this lank-looking Deer- || 
slayer ; and he, and she, and you, and all of us, had best look || 
to it, I am not a man to put up with such a wrong quietly, 
and do say, all the parties had best look to it ! Let ’s up J 
kedge, old fellow, and move nearer to this point, and see how j 
matters are getting on.” 

Hutter had no objections to this movement, and the ark was i 
got under way, in the usual manner, care being taken to make | 
no noise. The wind was passing northward, and the sail soon \ 
swept the scow so far up the lake, as to render the dark out- 
lines of the trees that clothed the point dimly visible. Float- ! 
ing Tom steered, and he sailed along as near the land as the 
depth of the water and the overhanging branches would allow, j 
It was impossible to distinguish anything that stood within the S 
shadows of the shore ; but the forms of the sail and of the hut 1 
were discerned by the young sentinel on the beach, who has ; 
already been mentioned. In the moment of sudden surprise, a j 
deep Indian exclamation escaped him. In that spirit of reck- | 
lessness and ferocity that formed the essence of Hurry’s charac- | 
ter, this man dropped his ride and fired. The ball Avas sped 
by accident, or by that overruling Providence which decides i 
the fates of all, and the girl fell. Then followed the scene | 
with the torches, Avhich has just been described. 

At the precise moment when Hurry committed this act of 
unthinking cruelty, the canoe of Judith Avas Avithin a hundred 
feet of the spot from which the ark had so lately moved. Her 
own course has been described, and it has now become our odice 
to folloAv that of her father and his companions. The shriek 
announced the effects of the random shot of March, and it also 
proclaimed that the victim Avas a Avoman. Hurry himself was 


THE DEERSLAYER 


347 


startled at these unlooked-for consequences ; and for a moment 
he was sorely disturbed by conflicting sensations. At first he 
laughed, in reckless and rude-minded exultation ; and then con- 
science, that monitor planted in our breasts by God, and which 
receives its more general growth from the training bestowed in 
the tillage of childhood, shot a pang to his heart. For a minute 
the mind of this creature, equally of civilization and barbarism, 
was a sort of chaos as to feeling, not knowing what to think of 
its own act ; and then the obstinacy and pride of one of his 
habits interposed to assert their usual ascendency. He struck 
the butt of his rifle on the bottom of the scow with a species 
of defiance, and began to whistle a low air with an affectation of 
indifference. All this time the ark was in motion, and it was 
already opening the bay above the point, and was consequently 
quitting the land. 

Hurry’s companions did not view his conduct with the same 
indulgence as that with which he appeared disposed to regard 
it himself. Hutter growled out his dissatisfaction, for the act 
led to no advantage, while it threatened to render the warfare 
more vindictive than ever ; and none censure motiveless depar- 
tures from the right more severely than the mercenary and 
unprincipled. Still he commanded himself, the caj)tivity of 
Deerslayer rendering the arm of the offender of double conse- 
quence to him at that moment. Chingachgook arose, and for 
a single instant the ancient animosity of tribes was forgotten 
in a feeling of color ; but he recollected himself in season to 
prevent any of the fierce consequences that for a passing mo- 
ment he certainly meditated. Not so with Hist. Rushing 
through the hut, or cabin, the girl stood at the side of Hurry, 
almost as soon as his rifle touched the bottom of the scow ; 
and with a fearlessness that did credit to her heart, she poured 
out her reproaches with, the generous warmth of a woman. 

“What for you shoot she said. “What Huron gal do, 
dat you kill him ? What you t’ink Manitou say ? What you 


348 


THE DEERShAYER 


t’ink Manitoii feel ? What Iroquois do? No get honor — no 
get camp — no get prisoner — no get battle — no get scalp — > 
no get not’ing at all. Blood come after Idood ! How you feel 
your wife killed 1 Who pity you when tear come from moder ! 
or sister? You big as great pine — Huron gal little slender : 
birch — why you fall on her and crush her? You t’ink Huron | 
forget it? No; redskin never forget. Never forget friend; 
never forget enemy. Redman Manitou in dat. Why you so ; 
wicked, great pale face ? ” 

Hurry had never been so daunted as by this close and warm : 
attack of the Indian girl. It is true that she had a powerful | 
ally in his conscience ; and while she spoke earnestly, it was in , 
tones so feminine as to deprive him of any pretext for unmanly i 
anger. The softness of her voice added to the weight of her ; 
remonstrance, by lending to the latter an air of purity and ' 
truth. Like most vulgar-minded men, he had only regarded the 
Indians through the medium of their coarser and fiercer char- | 
acteristics. It had never struck him that the affections are i 
human ; that even high principles — modified by habits and ■ 
prejudices, but not the less elevated within their circle — can 
exist in the savage state ; and that the warrior who is most ruth- 
less in the field can submit to the softest and gentlest inffuences i 
in the moments of domestic quiet. In a word, it was the habit I 
of his mind to regard all Indians as being only a slight degree 
removed from the wild beasts that roamed the woods, and to 
feel disposed to treat them accordingly, whatever interest or i 
caprice supplied a motive or an impulse. Still, though daunted | 
by these reproaches, the handsome barbarian could hardly be : 
said to be penitent. He was too much rebuked by conscience to | 
suffer an outbreak of temper to escape him ; and perhaps he felt ' 
that he had already committed an act that might justly bring j 
his manhood in question. Instead of resenting or answering ‘ 
the simple but natural appeal of Hist, he walked away like 
one who disdained entering into a controversy with a woman. 


THE JJEERSLAYER 


349 


In the meanwhile the ark swept onward, and by the time 
the scene with the torches was enacting beneath the trees, it 
had reached the open lake ; Floating Tom causing it to sheer 
farther from the land, with a sort of instinctive dread of retalia- 
tion. An hour now passed in gloomy silence, no one appear- 
ing disposed to break it. Hist had retired to her pallet, and 
Chingachgook lay sleeping in the forv/ard part of the scow. 
Hutter and Hurry alone remained awake, the former at the 
steering oar, while the latter brooded over his own conduct with 
the stubbornness of one little given to confession of his errors, 
and the secret goadings of the worm that never dies. Tliis was 
at the moment when Judith and Hetty reached the centre of the 
lake, and had lain down to endeavor to sleep in their drifting 
canoe. 

The night was calm, though so much obscured by clouds. 
The season was not one of storms, and those which did occur 
in the month of June on that embedded water, though fre- 
quently violent, were always of short continuance. Neverthe- 
less, there was the usual current of heavy, damp night air, 
which, passing over the summits of the trees, scarcely appeared 
to descend so low as the surface of the glassy lake, but kejA 
removing a short distance above it, saturated with the humid- 
ity that constantly arose from the woods, and apparently never 
proceeding far in any one direction. The currents were influ- 
enced by the formation of the hills, as a matter of course — a 
circumstance that rendered even fresh breezes baffling, and 
which reduced the feebler efforts of the night air to be a sort 
of capricious and fickle sighings of the woods. Several times 
the head of the ark pointed east, and once it was actually turned 
towards the south again ; but on the whole, it worked its way 
north, Hutter making always a fair wind, if wind it could be 
called, his principal motive appearing to be a wish to keep in 
motion, in order to defeat any treacherous design of his ene- 
mies. He now felt some little concern about his daughters. 


350 


THE DEERSLAYER 


and perhaps as much about the canoe ; but on the whole, this | 
uncertainty did not much disturb him, as he had the reliance 
already mentioned on the intelligence of Judith. j 

It was the season of the shortest nights, and it was not long 
before the deep obscurity which precedes the day began to yield 
to the returning light. If any earthly scene could be presented 
to the senses of man that might soothe his passion and temper j 
his ferocity, it was that which grew upon the eyes of Hutter j 
and Hurry as the hours advanced, changing night to morning. ; 
There were the usual soft tints of the sky in which neither the i 
gloom of darkness nor the brilliancy of the sun prevails, and ' 
under which objects appear more unearthly, and we might add, I 
holy, than at any other portion of the twenty-four hours. The ; 
beautiful and soothing calm of eventide has been extolled by a ! 
tliousand poets, and yet it does not bring with it the far-reach- 
ing and sublime thoughts of the half-hour that precedes the 
rising of a summer’s sun. In the one case the panorama is 
gradually hid from the sight, while in the other its objects 
start out from the unfolding picture, first dim and misty, then 
marked in, in solemn background ; next seen in the witchery of 
an increasing, a thing as, different as possible from the clecreas- 
ing twilight, and finally mellow, distinct, and luminous, as the 
rays of the great centre of light diffuse themselves in the atmos- 
l)here. The hymns of birds, too, have no novel counterpart in 
the retreat to the roost, or the flight to the nest ; and these 
invariably accompany the advent of the day, until the appear- 
ance of the sun itself — 

“ Bathes in deep joy the laud and sea.” 

All this, however, Hutter and Hurry witnessed without 
experiencing any of that calm delight which the spectacle is 
wont to bring when the thoughts are just, and the aspirations 
pure. They not only witnessed it, but they witnessed it under 
circumstances that had a tendency to increase its power and to 


THE DEERSLA YER 


351 


' heighten its charms. Only one solitary object became visible 
in the returning light, that had received its form or uses from 
human taste or human desii’es, which as often deform as beau- 
tify a landscape. This was the castle ; all the rest being native, 
i and fresh from the hand of God. That singular residence, too, 

\ was in keeping with the natural objects of the view, starting 
I out from the gloom, quaint, picturesque, and ornamental. 

\ Nevertheless, the whole was lost on the observers, who knew 
no feeling of poetry, had lost their sense of natural devotion in 
lives of obdurate and narrow selfishness, and had little other 
sympathy with nature than that which originated with lier 
lowest wants. 

As soon as the light was sufficiently strong to allow of a 
distinct view of the lake, and more particularly of its shores, 
H utter turned the head of the ark directly towards the castle, 
with the avowed intention of taking possession for the day at 
least, as the place most favorable for meeting his daughters, 
and for carrying on his operations against the Indians. By 
I this time, Chingachgook was up, and Hist was heard stirring 
among the furniture of the kitchen. The place for which they 
steered was distant only a mile, and the air was sulficiently 
favorable to permit it to be neared by means of the sail. At 
this moment, too, to render the appearances generally aus])i- 
cious, the canoe of Judith was seen floating nortliward in the 
l)roa(lest part of the lake ; having actually passed the scow in 
the darkness, in obedience to no other power than that of tlie 
elements. Hutter got his glass, and took a long and anxious 
suiwey to ascertain if his daughters Avere in the light craft, or 
not ; and a slight exclamation like that of joy escaped him, as 
he caught a glimpse of what he rightly conceived to be a part 
of Judith’s dress above the top of the canoe. At the next 
instant, the girl arose, and was seen gazing about her, like one 
assuring herself of her situntion. A minute later, Hetty was 
seen on her knees, in the other end of the canoe, repeating the 


352 


THE DEEliSLAYER 


prayers that had been taught her in childhood by a misguided 
but repentant mother. As Hutter laid down the glass, still 
drawn to its focus, the Serpent raised it to his eye and turned 
it towards the canoe. It was the first time he had ever used 
such an instrument, and Hist understood by his “ Hugh ! ” the 
expression of his face, and his entire mien, that something- 
wonderful had excited his admiration. It is well known that 
the American Indians, more particularly those of superior 
character and stations, singularly maintain their self-possession 
and stoicism, in the midst of the flood of marvels that present * 
themselves in their occasional visits to the abodes of civiliza- 
tion ; and Chingachgook had imbibed enough of this impassi- 
bility to suppress any very undignified manifestation of surprise. 
With Hist, however, no such law was binding, and when her 
lover managed to bring the glass in a line with the canoe, and 
her eye was applied to the smaller end, the girl started back in 
alarm ; then she clapped her hands with delight, and a laugh, 
the usual attendant of untutored admiration, followed. A few 
minutes sufficed to enable this quick-witted girl to manage the 
instrument for herself, and she directed it at every prominent 
object that struck her fancy. Finding a rest in one of the 
windows, she and the Delaware first surveyed the lake, then 
the shores, the hills, and finally the castle attracted their atten- 
tion. After a long steady gaze at the latter. Hist took away 
her eye, and spoke to her lover in a low, earnest manner. 
Chingachgook immediately placed his eye to the glass, and his 
look even exceeded that of his betrothed, in length and inten- 
sity. Again they spoke together confidentially, appearing to 
compare opinions, after which the glass was laid aside, and the 
young warrior quitted the cabin to join Hutter and Hurry. 

The ark was slowly but steadily advancing, and the castle 
was materially within half a mile, when Chingachgook joined 
the two white men in the stern of the scow. His manner was 
(^alni, but it was evident to the others, who were familiar with 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


353 


the habits of .the Indians, that he had something to communi- 
cate. Hurry was generally prompt to speak, and according to 
custom, he took the lead on this occasion. 

“ Out with it, redskin,” he cried, in his usual rough man- 
ner. “ Have you discovered a chipmunk in a tree, or is there 
a salmon-trout swimming under the bottom of the scow? You 
find what a pale-face can do in the way of eyes, now, Sarpent, 
and must n’t wonder that they can see the land of the Indians 
from afar off.” 

“No good to go to castle,” put in Chingachgook with 
emphasis, the moment the other gave him an opportunity of 
speaking. “ Huron there.” 

“ The devil he is ! If this should turn out to be true. Floating 
Tom, a pretty trap were we about to pull down on our heads ! 
Huron there ! — well, this may be so ; but no signs can I see of 
anything near or about the old hut but logs, water, and bark 
— ’bating two or three windows and one door.” 

H utter called for the glass and took a careful survey of the 
spot before he ventured an opinion at all ; then he somewhat 
cavalierly expressed his dissent from that given by the Indian. 

“You ’ve got this glass wrong end foremost, Delaware,” con- 
tinued Hurry ; “ neither the old man nor I can see any trail in 
the lake.” 

“No trail — water make no trail,” said Hist, eagerly. 
“ Stop boat — no go too near — Huron there ! ” 

“ Ay, that ’s it ! Stick to the same tale and more people 
will believe you. I hope, Sarpent, you and your gal will agree 
in telling the same story arter marriage as well as you do now. 
Huron there! — whereabouts is he to be seen — in the pad- 
lock, or the chains, or the logs? There isn’t a jail in the 
colony that has a more lock-up look about it than old Tom’s 
chiente ; and I know something about jails from exper’ence.” 

“No see moccasin,” said Hist, impatiently, “why no look 
and see him.” 


854 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


“ Give me the glass, Harry,” interrupted Hutter, “ and lower 
the sail. It is seldom that an Indian woman meddles, and when 
she does there is generally a cause for it. There is, truly, a 
moccasin floating against one of the piles ; and it may or may 
not be a sign that the castle has n’t escaped visitors in our 
absence. Moccasins are no rarities, however, for I wear ’em, 
myself, and Deerslayer wears ’em, and you wear ’em, March ; 
and for that matter, so does Hetty, quite as often as she wears 
shoes ; though I never yet saw Judith thrust her pretty foot in 
a moccasin.” 

Hurry had lowered the sail, and by this time the ark was 
within two hundred yards of the castle, setting in nearer and 
nearer each moment, but at a rate too slow to excite any 
uneasiness. Each now took the glass in turn, and the castle 
and everything near it was subjected to a scrutiny still more 
rigid than ever. There the moccasin lay, beyond a question, 
floating so lightly and preserving its form so well that it was 
scarcely wet. It had cauglit by a piece of the rough bark of 
one of the piles on the exterior of the water-palisade that formed 
the dock already mentioned, which circumstance alone prevented 
it from drifting away before the air. There were many modes, 
however, of accounting for the presence of the moccasin with- 
out supposing it to have been dropped by an enemy. It might 
have fallen from the platform even while Hutter was in posses- 
sion of the place, and drifted to the spot where it was now 
seen, remaining unnoticed until detected by the acute vision of 
Hist. It might have drifted from a distance, up or down the 
lake, and accidentally become attached to the pile or palisade. 
It might have been thrown from a window and alighted in that 
particular place ; or it might certainly have fallen from a scout 
or an assailant during the past night, who was obliged to aban- 
don it to the lake in the deep obscurity which then prevailed. 

All these conjectures passed from Hutter to Hiiny, the 
former being disposed to regard the omen as a little sinister. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


355 


while the latter treated it with his usual reckless disdain. As 
for the Indian, he was of opinion that the moccasin should be 
viewed as one would regard a trail in the woods which might 
or might not equally prove to be threatening. Hist, however, 
had something available to propose. She declared her readi- 
ness to take a canoe, to proceed to the palisade, and bring away 
the moccasin, when its ornaments would show whether it came 
from the Canadas or not. Both the white men were disposed 
to accept this offer ; but the Delaware interfered to prevent the 
risk. If such a service was to be undertaken, it best became a 
warrior to expose himself in its execution ; and he gave his 
refusal to let his betrothed proceed, much in the quiet, but 
brief manner in which an Indian liusband issues his commands. 

“Well, then, Delaware, go yourself, if you’re so tender of 
your squaw,” put in the unceremonious Hurry. “ That moccasin 
must be had, or Floating Tom will keep off here at arm’s length 
till the hearth cools in his cabin. It ’s but a little deer-skin 
arter all, and cut thisaway or thataway, it ’s not a skear-crow 
to frighten true hunters from their game. What say you, Sar- 
pent, shall you or I canoe it ? ” 

“Let redman go. Better eyes than pale-face — know Huron 
trick better, too.” 

“That I’ll gainsay, to the hour of my death! A white 
man’s eyes, and a wliite man’s nose, and for that matter his 
sight and ears, are all better than an Injin’s when fixirly tried. 
Time and ag’in have I put that to the proof, and what is 
proved is sartain. Still I suppose the poorest vagabond going, 
whether Delaware or Huron, can find his way to yonder hut 
and back ag’in ; and so, Sarpent, use your paddle and welcome.” 

Chingachgook was already in the canoe, and he dipped the 
implement the other named, into the water, just as Hurry’s 
limber tongue ceased. Wah-ta-Wah saw the departure of her 
warrior on this occasion with the submissive silence of an 
Indian girl, but with most of the misgivings and apprehensions 


356 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


of her sex. Throughout the whole of the past night, and down] 
to the moment when they used the glass together in the hut, I 
Chingachgook had manifested as much manly tenderness 
towards his betrothed as one of the most refined sentiments 
could have shown under similar circumstances ; but now every 
sign of weakness was lost in an appearance of stern resolution.] 
Although Hist timidly endeavored to catch his eye, as the' 
canoe left the side of the ark, the pride of a warrior would not 
permit him to meet her fond and anxious looks. The canoe 
departed, and not a wandering glance rewarded her solicitude. 

Nor were the Delaware’s care and gravity misplaced, under 
the impressions with which he proceeded on this enterprise. 
If the enemy had really gained possession of the building, he 
was obliged to put himself under the very muzzles of their 
rifies, as it were, and this too without the protection of any 
of that cover which forms so essential an ally in Indian war- 
fare. It is scarcely possible to conceive of a service more 
dangerous ; and had the Serpent been fortified by the experi- 
ence of ten more years, or had his friend, the Deerslayer, been 
present, it would never have been attempted ; the advantages 
ill no degree compensating for the risk. But the pride of an 
Indian chief was acted on by the rivalry of color ; and it is not 
unlikely that the presence of the very creature from whom his 
ideas of manhood prevented his receiving a single glance, over- 
fiowing as he was with the love she so well merited, had no 
small influence on his determination. 

Chingachgook paddled steadily towards the palisades, keep- 
ing his eye on the diftereiit loops of the building. Each 
instant he expected to see the muzzle of a rifle protruded, or to 
hear its sharp crack ; but he succeeded in reaching the piles in 
safety. Here he was, in a measure, protected, having the 
heads of the palisades between him and the hut ; and the 
cJiances of any attempt on his life, while thus covered, were 
greatly diminished. The canoe had reached the piles with its 


THE DEKRSLA TER 


357 


head inclining northward, and at a short distance from tlie 
moccasin. Instead of turning to pick up the latter, the Dela- 
ware slowly made the circuit of the whole building, deliberately 
examining every object that should betray the presence of 
enemies, or tlie commission of violence. Not a single sign 
could be discovered, however, to confirm the suspicions that 
had been awakened. The stillness of desertion pervaded the 
building; not a fastening was displaced; rot a window had 
been broken. The door looked as secure as r.t the hour when 
it w^as closed by Hutter, and even the gate of the dock had all 
the customary fastenings. In short, the most wary and jeal- 
ous eye could detect no other evidence of the visit of enemies 
than that which was connected with the appearance of the 
floating moccasin. 

The Delaware was now greatly at a loss how to proceed. 
At one moment, as he came round in front of the castle, he 
was on the point of stepping up on the platform, and of 
applying his eye to one of the loops, with a view of taking a 
direct personal inspection of the state of things within; but 
he hesitated. Though of little experience in such matters 
himself, he had heard so much of Indian artifices through 
traditions, had listened with such breathless interest to the 
narration of the escapes of the elder w'arriors, and, in short, 
w^as so well schooled in the theoiy of his calling, that it was 
almost as impossible for him to make any gross blunder on 
such an occasion, as it was for a well-grounded scholar, who 
had commenced correctly, to fail in solving his problem in 
mathematics. Relinquishing the momentary intention to 
land, the chief slowiy pursued his course around the pali- 
sades. As he approached the moccasin — having now nearly 
completed the circuit of the building — he threw' the ominous 
article into the canoe, by a dexterous and almost impercepti- 
ble movement of his paddle. He was now ready to depart ; 
but retreat was even more dangerous than the approach, as 


358 


THE DEERSLAYER 


I 

If 

\ 

the eye could no longer be riveted on the loops. If there i 
was really any one in the castle, the motive of the Delaware ; 
in reconnoitring must be understood ; and it was the wisest 
way, however perilous it might be, to retire with an air of 
confidence, as if all distrust were terminated by the exam- 
ination. Such, accordingly, was the course adopted by the 
Indian, who paddled deliberately away, taking the direction 
of the ark, suffering no nervous impulse to quicken the ’ 
motions of his arms, or to induce him to turn even a furtive ' 
glance behind him. ; 

No tender wife, reared in the refinements of the highest civ- < 
ilization, ever met a husband on his return from the ‘field, with ' 
more of sensibility in her countenance, than Hist discovered, as - 
she saw the Great Serpent of the Delawares step, unharmed, 
into the ark. Still she repressed her emotions, though the joy 
that sparkled in lier dark eyes, and the smile that lighted up ‘ 
her pretty mouth, spoke a language that her betrothed could 
understand. 

“Well, Sarpent,” cried Hurry, always the first to speak, ; 
“ what news from the Muskrats 1 Did they show their teeth, 
as you surrounded their dwelling ? ” 

“ I no like him,” sententiously returned the Delaware. “ Too 
still. So still, can see silence ! ” 

“That’s downright Injin — as if anything could make less 
noise than nothing ! If you ’ve no better reason than this to 
give, old Tom had better hoist his sail, and go and get Ins I 
breakfast under his own roof. What has become of the 
moccasin 1 ” 

“ Here,” returned Chingachgook, holding up his prize for the 
general inspection. i 

The moccasin was examined, and Hist confidently pronounced | 
it to be Huron, by the manner in which the porcupine’s quills | 
were arranged on its front. Hutter, and the Delaware, too, ^ 
were decidedly of the same opinion. Admitting all this, how- 1 

Vi 

ft 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


zm 


ever, it did not necessarily follow that its owners were in the 
castle. The moccasin might have drifted from a distance, or it 
might have fallen from the foot of some scout, who had quitted 
the place when his errand was accomplished. In short, it 
explained nothing, while it awakened so much distrust. 

Under these circumstances, Hutter and Harry were not men 
to be long deterred from proceeding, by proofs as slight as that 
of the moccasin. They hoisted the sail again, and the ark was 
soon in motion, heading towards the castle. The wind, or 
air, continued light, and the movement was sufficiently slow 
to allow of a deliberate survey of the building as the scow 
approached. 

The same death -like silence reigned, and it was difficult to 
fancy that anything possessing animal life could be in or around 
the place. Unlike the Serpent, whose imagination had acted 
through his traditions until he was ready to perceive an arti- 
ficial in a natural stillness, the others saw nothing to apprehend 
in a tranquillity that, in truth, merely denoted the repose of 
inanimate objects. The accessories of the scene, too, were 
soothing and calm, rather than exciting. The day had not yet 
advanced so far as to bring the sun above the horizon, but the 
heavens, the atmosphere, and the woods and lake, were all seen 
under that softening light which immediately precedes his 
appearance, and which, perhaps, is the most witching })eriod 
of the four-and-twenty hours. It is the moment when every- 
thing is distinct, even the atmosphere seeming to possess a liquid 
lucidity, the hues appearing gray and softened, with the outlines 
of objects diffused, and the perspective just as moral truths, 
that are presented in their simplicity without the meretricious 
aids of ornament or glitter. In a word, it is the moment when 
the senses seem to recover their powers in the simplest and 
most accurate forms, like the mind emerging from the obscurity 
of doubts into the tranquillity and peace of demonstration. 
Most of the influence that such a scene is apt to produce on 


360 


THE DEERSLAYER 


those who are properly constituted in a moral sense, was lost'^ 
on Hotter and Hurry; but both the Delawares, though toof 
much accustomed to witness the loveliness of morning-tide to 
stop to analyze their feelings, were equally sensible of the 
beauties of the hour, though it was probably in a way unknown 
to themselves. It disposed the young warrior to peace; and 
never had he felt less longings for the glory of the combat than 
when he joined Hist in the cabin, the instant the scow rubbed 
against the side of the platform. From the indulgence of such ■ 
gentle emotions, however, he was aroused by a rude summons ^ 
from Hurry, who called on him to come forth and help to take 
in the sail and to secure the ark. 

Chingachgook obeyed ; and by the time he had reached the head 
of the scow. Hurry was on the platform, stamping his feet, like 
one glad to touch what, by comparison, might be called terra 
firma, and proclaiming his indifference to the whole Huron 
tribe, in his customary noisy, dogmatical manner. Hutter had 
hauled a canoe up to the head of the scow, and was already 
about to undo the fastenings of the gate, in order to enter 
within the dock. March had no other motive in landing than 
a senseless bravado, and having shaken the door in a manner 
to put its solidity to the proof, he joined Hutter in the canoe, 
and began to aid him in opening the gate. The reader will ■ 
remember that this mode of entrance was rendered necessary \ 
by the manner in which the owner of this singular residence j 
habitually secured it whenever it was left empty ; more par- i 
ticularly at moments when danger was apprehended. Hutter | 
had placed a line in the Delaware’s hand, on entering the canoe, J 
intimating that the other was to fasten the ark to the platform J 
and to lower the sail. Instead of following these directions, f 
liowever, Chingachgook left the sail standing, and throwing the v 
bight of the rope over tlie head of a pile, he permitted the ark ' 
to drift round until it lay against the defences in a position ' 
where it could be entered only by means of a boat, or by passing 


THE DEERS LA YER 


361 


along the summits of the palisades ; the latter being an exploit 
that required some command of the feet, and which was not to 
be attempted in the face of a resolute enemy. 

In consequence of this change in the position of the scow, 
which was effected before Hutter had succeeded in opening the 
gate of his dock, the ark and the castle lay, as sailors would 
express it, yard-arm and yard-arm, kept asunder some ten or 
twelve feet by means of the piles. As the scow pressed close 
against the latter, their tops formed a species of breastwork 
that rose to the height of a man’s head, covering in a certain 
degree the parts of the scow that were not protected by the 
cabin. The Delaware surveyed this arrangement with great 
satisfaction, and, as the canoe of Hutter passed through the 
gate into the dock, he thought that he might defend his posi- 
tion against any garrison in the castle, for a sufficient time, 
could he but have had the helping arm of his friend Deerslayer. 
As it was, he felt comparatively secure, and no longer suffered 
the keen apprehensions he had lately experienced in behalf 
of Hist. 

A single shove sent the canoe from the gate to the trap 
beneath the castle. Here Hutter found all fast, neither pad- 
lock, nor chain, nor bar, having been molested. The key was 
produced, the locks removed, the chain loosened, and the trap 
pushed upward. Hurry now thrust his head in at the opening ; 
the arms followed, and the colossal legs rose without any 
apparent effort. At the next instant, his heavy foot was heard 
stamping in the passage above; that which separated the 
chambers of the father and daughters, and into which the trap 
opened. He then gave a shout of triumph. 

“ Come on, old Tom,” the reckless woodsman called out from 
within the building; “here’s your tenement, safe and sound; 
ay, and as empty as a nut that has passed half an hour in tlie 
paws of a squin’el ! The Delaware brags of being able to see 
silence; let him come here, and he may feel it in the bargain.” 


362 


THE DEERSLATER 


“ Any silence where you are, Hurry Harry,” returned Hutter, 
thrusting his head in at the hole, as he uttered the last word, 
which instantly caused his voice to sound smothered to those 
without, “any silence where you are ought to be both seen and 
felt, for it’s unlike any other silence.” 

“ Come, come, old fellow ; hoist yourself up, and we ’ll open 
doors and windows and let in the fresh air to brighten up 
matters. Few words, in troublesome times, make men the best 
fri’nds. Your darter Judith is what I call a misbehaving 
young woman, and the hold of the whole family on me is so 
much weakened by her late conduct, that it would n’t take a 
speech as long as the ten commandments to send me off to 
the river, leaving you and your traps, your ark and your chil- 
dren, your man-servants and your maid-servants, your oxen and 
your asses, to fight this battle with the Iroipiois by yourselves. 
Open that window. Floating Tom, and I’ll blunder through and 
do the same job to the front door.” 

A moment of silence succeeded, and a noise like that produced 
by the fall of a heavy body followed. A deep execration from 
Harry succeeded, and then the whole interior of the building 
seemed alive. The noises that now so suddenly, and we may 
add so unexpectedly even to the Delaware, broke the stillness 
within, could not be mistaken. They resembled those that 
would be produced by a struggle between tigers in a cage. 
Once or twice the Indian yell was given, but it seemed smoth- 
ered, and as if it proceeded from exhausted or compressed 
throats ; and, in a single instance, a deep and another shock- 
ingly revolting execration came from the throat of Hurry. It 
appeared as if bodies were constantly thrown upon the floor 
with violence, as often rising to renew the struggle. Chin- 
gachgook felt greatly at a loss what to do. He had all the 
arms in the ark, Hutter and Hurry having proceeded without 
their rifles ; but there was no means of using them, or of pass- 
ing them to the hands of their owners. The combatants were 


THE DEERSLAYER 


363 


literally caged, rendering it almost as impossible, under the 
circumstances, to get out, as to get into the building. Then 
there was Hist to embarrass his movements, and to cripple his 
efforts. With a view to relieve himself from this disadvantage, 
he told the girl to take the remaining canoe, and to join Hutter’s 
daughters, who were incautiously but deliberately approaching, 
in order to save herself and to warn the others of their danger. 
But the girl positively and firmly refused to comply. At that 
moment, no human power, short of an exercise of superior 
physical force, could have induced her to quit the ark. The 
exigency of the moment did not admit of delay, and the Dela- 
ware, seeing no possibility of serving his friends, cut the line, 
and by a strong shove forced the scow some twenty feet clear 
of the piles. Here he took the sweeps and succeeded in getting 
a short distance to windward, if any direction could be thus 
termed in so light an air, but neither the time, nor his skill 
at the oars, allowed the distance to be great. When he ceased 
rowing the ark might have been a hundred yards from the 
platform, and half that distance to the southward of it, the sail 
being lowered. Judith and Hetty had now discovered that 
something was wrong, and were stationary a thousand feet 
farther north. 

All this while the furious struggle continued within the 
house. In scenes like these, events thicken in less time than 
they can be related. From the moment when the first fall was 
heard within the building, to that when the Delaware ceased 
his awkward attempts to row, it might have been three or four 
minutes, but it had evidently served to weaken the comba- 
tants. The oaths and execrations of Hurry were no longer 
heard, and even the struggles had lost some of their force and 
fury ; nevertheless, they still continued with unabated perse- 
verance. At this instant the door flew open and the fight was 
transferred to the platform, the light, and the open air. 

A Huron had undone the fastenings of the door, and three or 


364 


THE DEERSLAYER 


four of his tribe rushed after him upon the narrow space, as if 
glad to escape from some terrible scene within. The body of 
another followed, pitched headlong through the door, with ter- 
rific violence. Then March appeared, raging like a lion at bay, 
and for an instant freed from his numerous enemies. Hutter 
was already a captive and bound. There was now a pause 
in the struggle, which resembled a lull in a tempest. The 
necessity of breathing was common to ail, and the comba- 
tants stood watching each other, like mastitts that have been 
driven from their holds, and are waiting for a favorable oppor- 
tunity of renewing them. We shall profit by this pause to 
relate the manner in which the Indians had obtained possession 
of the castle ; and this the more willingly, because it may be 
necessary to explain to the reader, why a conflict which had 
been so close and fierce, should have also been so comparatively 
bloodless. 

Rivenoak and his companion, particularly the latter, who 
had appeared to be a subordinate and occupied solely with his 
raft, had made the closest observations in their visits to the 
castle ; even the boy had brought away minute and valuable 
information. By these means the Hurons obtained a general 
idea of the manner in which the place was constructed and 
secured, as well as of details that enabled them to act intelli- 
gently in the dark. Notwithstanding the cai>e that Hutter 
had taken to drop the ark on the east side of the building, 
when he was in the act of transferring the furniture from the 
former to the latter, he had been watched in a way to render 
the precaution useless. Scouts were on the lookout on the 
eastern as well as on the western shore of the lake, and the 
whole proceeding had been noted. As soon as it was dark, 
rafts like that already described approached from both shores 
to reconnoitre, and the ark had passed within fifty feet of one 
of them without its being discovered ; the men it held, lying at 
their length on the logs, so as to blend themselves and their 


THE DEERSLAYER 


365 


slow-moving machine with the water. When these two sets of 
adventurers drew near the castle, they encountered each other, 
i and after communicating their respective observations, they 
unhesitatingly approached the building. As had been ex- 
I pected it was found empty. The rafts were immediately sent 
for a reinforcement to the shore, and two of the savages 
remained to profit by their situation. These men succeeded in 
getting on the roof, and by removing some of the bark, in 
entering what might be termed the garret. Here they were 
found by their companions. Hatchets now opened a hole 
through the square logs of the upper floor, through which no 
less than eight of the most athletic of the Indians dropped into 
the room beneath. Here they were left, well supplied with 
arms and provisions, either to stand a siege, or to make a sortie, 
as the case might require. The night was passed in sleep as 
is usual with Indians in a state of inactivity. The returning 
day brought them a view of the approach of the ark, through 
the loops, the only manner in which light and air were now 
admitted, the windows being closed most effectually with plank, 
rudely fashioned to fit. As soon as it was ascertained that the 
two white men were about to enter by the trap, the chief, who 
directed the proceedings of the Hurons, took his measures 
accordingly. He removed all the arms from his own people, 
even to the knives, in distrust of savage ferocity, when awak- 
ened by personal injuries, and he hid them where they could not 
be found without a search. Ropes of bark were then prepared, 
and taking their stations in the three different rooms, they all 
waited for the signal to fall upon their intended captives. As 
soon as the party had entered the building, men without replaced 
the bark of the roof, removed every sign of their visit with 
care, and then departed for the shore. It was one of these 
who had dropped his moccasin, which he had not been able to 
find again in the dark. Had the death of the girl been known, 
it is probable nothing could liave saved the lives of Hurry and 


3G6 


THE DEERSLAYER 


Hiitter ; but that event occurred after the ambush was laid, 
and at a distance of several miles from the encampment near 
the castle. Such were the means that had been employed to 
produce the state of things we shall continue to describe. 


CHAPTER XX 

“ Now all is done that men can do, 

And all is done in vain ! 

My love ! my native land, adieu ; 

For I must cross the main. 

My dear, 

For I must cross the main.” 

Scottish Ballad. 

In the last chapter we left the combatants breathing in 
their narrow lists. Accustomed to the rude sports of wrest- 
ling and jumping, then so common in America, more especially 
on the frontiers, Hurry possessed an advantage, in addition to 
his prodigious strength, that had rendered the struggle less 
unequal than it might otherwise appear to be. This alone 
had enabled him to hold out so long against so many enemies ; 
for the Indian is by no means remarkable for his skill or force 
in athletic exercises. As yet, no one had been seriously hurt, 
though several of the savages had received severe falls ; and he, 
in particular, who had been thrown bodily, upon the platform, 
might be said to be temporarily hors de co?nbat.° Some of the 
rest were limping ; and March himself had not entirely escaped 
from bruises, though want of breath was the principal loss 
that both sides wished to repair. 

Under circumstances like those in which the parties were 
placed, a truce, let it come from what cause it might, could 
not well be of long continuance. The arena was too confined. 


THE DEEliSLAYER 


367 


and the distrust of treacliery too great, to admit of this. 
Contrary to what might be expected in his situation, Hurry 
was the first to recommence hostilities. Whether this pro- 
ceeded from policy or an idea that he might gain some advan- 
tage by making a sudden and unexpected assault, or was the 
fruit of irritation and his undying hatred of an Indian, it is 
impossible to say. His onset was furious, however, and at 
first it carried all before it. He seized the nearest Huron by 
the waist, raised him entirely from the platform, and hurled him 
into the water, as if he had been a child. In half a minute, 
two more were at his side, one of whom received a grave 
injury by falling on the friend who had just preceded him. 
But four enemies remained, and in a hand-to-hand conflict, in 
which no arms were used but those which nature had fur- 
nished, Hurry believed himself fully able to cope with that 
number of redskins. 

“ Hurrah ! old Tom,” he shouted ; “ the rascals are taking 
to the lake, and I ’ll soon have ’em all swimming ! ” As these 
words were uttered, a violent kick in the face sent back the 
injured Indian, who had caught at the edge of the platform 
and was endeavoring to raise himself to its level, helplessly and 
hopelessly into the water. When tlie affray was over, his 
dark body was seen, through the limpid element of the Glim- 
merglass, lying, with outstretched arms, extended on the bot- 
tom of the shoal on which the castle stood, clinging to the 
sands and weeds as if life were to be retained by this frenzied 
grasp of death. A blow, sent into the pit of another’s stom- 
ach, doubled him up like a worm that had been trodden on ; 
and but two able-bodied foes remained to be dealt with. One 
of these, however, was not only the largest and strongest of 
the Hurons, but he was also the most experienced of the war- 
riors present, and that one whose sinews were tlie best strung 
in fights, and by marches on the war-path. This man fully 
appreciated tlie gigantic strength of his opponent, and had 


368 


THE DEERSLAYER 


carefully husbanded his own. He was also equipped in the 
best manner for such a conflict, standing in nothing but his 
breech-cloth, the model of a naked and beautiful statue of 
agility and strength. To grasp him required additional dex- 
terity and unusual force. Still Hurry did not hesitate ; but 
the kick, that had actually destroyed one fellow-creature, was 
no sooner given than he closed in with this formidable antago- 
nist, endeavoring to force him into the water also. The 
struggle that succeeded was truly frightful. So fierce did it 
immediately become, and so quick and changeful were the 
evolutions of the athletce, that the remaining savage had no 
chance for interfering, had he possessed the desire ; but won- 
der and apprehension held him spell-bound. He was an inex- 
perienced youth, and his blood curdled as he witnessed the fell 
strife of human passions, exhibited, too, in an unaccustomed 
form. 

Hurry first attempted to throw his antagonist. With this 
view he seized him by the throat and an arm, and tripped 
with the quickness and force of an American borderer. The 
effect was frustrated by the agile movements of the Huron, 
who had clothes to grasp by, and whose feet avoided the 
attempt with a nimbleness equal to that with which’ it was 
made. Then followed a sort of melee, if such a term can be 
applied to a struggle between two, in which no efforts were 
distinctly visible, the limbs and bodies of the combatants 
assuming so many attitudes and contortions, as to defeat 
observation. This confused but fierce rally lasted less than 
a minute, however, when Hurry, furious at having his 
strength baffled by the agility and nakedness of his foe, 
made a desperate effort, which sent the Huron from him, 
hurling his body violently against the logs of the hut. The 
concussion was so great as momentarily to confuse the lat- 
ter’s faculties. The pain, too, extorted a deep groan ; an 
unusual concession to agony, to escape a redman in the heat 


THE DEERSLAYER 


369 


of battle. Still he rushed forward again, to meet his enemy, 
conscious that his safety rested on his resolution. Hurry 
now seized the other by the waist, raised him bodily from 
the platform, and fell with his own great weight on the form 
beneath. This additional shock so far stunned the sufferer, 
that his gigantic white opponent now had him completely at 
his mercy. Passing his hands round the throat of his victim, 
he compressed them with the strength of a vice, fairly doub- 
f ling the head of the Huron over the edge of the platform, 

i until the chin was uppermost, with the infernal strength he 
expended. An instant sufficed to show the consequences. 
The eyes of the sufferer seemed to start forward, his tongue 
j protruded, and his nostrils dilated nearly to splitting. At 
( this instant a rope of bark, having an eye, was passed dex- 
terously within the two arms of Hurry; the end threaded 
the eye, forming a noose, and his elbows were drawn to- 
gether behind his back, with a power that all his gigantic 
strength could not resist. Reluctantly, even under such 

circumstances, did the exasperated borderer see his hands 
drawn from their deadly grasp, for all the evil passions were 
then in the ascendant. Almost at the same instant, a similar 
I fastening secured his ankles, and his body was rolled to the 
I centre of the platform as helplessly, and as cavalierly, as if 
it were a log of wood. His rescued antagonist, however, 
did not rise, for while he began again to breathe, his head 
still hung helplessly over the edge of the logs, and it was 
thought at first that his neck was dislocated. He recovered 
gi'adually only, and it was hours before he could walk. 
Some faiicied that neither his body nor his mind ever totally 
recovered from this near approach to death. 

Hurry owed his defeat and capture to the intensity with 
which he had concentrated all his powers on his fallen foe. 
While thus occupied, the two Indians he had hurled into the 
water mounted to the heads of the piles, along which they 
2 B 


370 


THE DEERSLAYER 


passed, and joined their companion on the platform. The : 
latter had so far rallied his faculties as to have got the ropes, 
which were in readiness for use as the others appeared, and 
they were applied in the manner related, as Hurry lay press- 
ing his enemy down with his whole weight, intent only on ; 
the horrible office of strangling him. Thus were the tables 
turned, in a single moment ; he who had been so near achiev- 
ing a, victory that would have been renowned for ages, by 
means of tradition, throughout all that region, lying helpless, j 
bound, and a captive. So fearful had been the efforts of ’ 
the pale-face, and so prodigious the strength he exhibited, 
til at even as he lay, tethered like a sheep before them, they 
regarded him with respect, and not without dread. The j 
helpless body of their stoutest warrior was still stretched on ; 
the platform ; and, as they cast their eyes towards the lake, 
in quest of the comrade that had been hurled into it so uncere- 
moniously, and of whom they had lost sight in the confusion of ' 
the fray, they perceived his lifeless form clinging to the grass 
on the bottom, as already described. These several circum- 
stances contributed to render the victory of the Hurons almost ' 
as astounding to themselves as a defeat. ! 

Chingachgook and his betrothed witnessed the whole of this 
struggle from the ark. When the three Hurons were about to 
pass the cords around tlie arms of the prostrate Hurry, the 
Delaware sought his rifle ; but, before he could use it, the 
white man was bound, and the mischief was done. He might ; 
still bring down an enemy, but to obtain the scalp was impossi- 
ble ; and the young chief, who would so freely risk his own life ^ 
to obtain such a trophy, hesitated about taking that of a foe, 
without such an object in view. A glance at Hist, and the ; 
recollection of what might follow, checked any transient wish 
for revenge. The reader has been told that Chingachgook ! 
could scarcely be said to know how to manage the oars of the j 
ark at all, however expert he might be in the use of the paddle, j 


THE DEERSLAYER 


371 


Perhaps there is no manual labor at which men are so bungling 
and awkward, as in their first attempts to pull an oar, even 
the experienced mariner, or boatman, breaking down in his 
efibrts to figure with the celebrated rullock of the gondolier. 

In short, it is temporarily an impracticable thing for a new 
beginner to succeed with a single oar ; but, in this case, it was 
necessary to handle two at the same time, and those of great 
size. Sweeps, or large oars, however, are sooner rendered of 
use by the raw hand than lighter implements, and this was 
the reason that the Delaware had succeeded in moving the ark 
as well as he did, in a first trial. That trial notwithstanding, 
sufficed to produce distrust, and he was fully aware of the 
critical situation in which Hist and himself were now placed, 
should the Hurons take to the canoe that was still lying 
beneath the trap, and come against them. At one moment he 
thought of putting Hist into the canoe in his own possession, 
and of taking to the eastern mountain, in the hope of reaching 
tlie Delaware villages by direct flight. But many considera- 
tions suggested themselves to put a stop to this indiscreet 
step. It was almost certain that scouts watched the lake on 
l)oth sides, and no canoe could possibly approach the shore 
without being seen from the hills. Then a trail could not be 
concealed from Indian eyes, and the strengtli of Hist was un- 
e<iual to a flight sufficiently sustained to outstrip tlie pursuit 
of trained warriors. This was a part of America in which the 
Indians did not know the use of horses, and everything would 
depend on the physical energies of the fugitives. Last, but 
far from being least, were the thoughts connected with the 
situation of Deerslayer, a friend who was not to be deserted in 
his extremity. 

Hist, in some particulars, reasoned, and even felt, differently, 
though she arrived at the same conclusions. Her own danger - 
disturbed her less than her concern for the two sisters, in 
whose behalf her womanly sympathies were now strongly 


372 


THE DEERSLAYER 


enlisted. The canoe of the girls, by the time the struggle on 
the platform had ceased, was within three hundred yards of 
the castle, and here Judith ceased paddling, the evidences of 
strife first becoming apparent to the eyes. She and Hetty 
were standing erect, anxiously endeavoring to ascertain what 
had occurred, but unable to satisfy their doubts, from the 
circumstance that the building, in a great measure, concealed 
the scene of action. 

The parties in the ark and in the canoe were indebted to the 
ferocity of Hurry's attack, for their momentary security. In 
any ordinary case, the girls would have been immediately 
captured ; a measure easy of execution, now the savages had 
a canoe, were it not for the rude check the audacity of the 
Hurons had received, in the recent struggle. It recpiired some 
little time to recover from the effects of this violent scene ; and 
this so much the more, because the principal man of the party, 
in the way of personal prowess at least, had been so great a 
sufferer. Still it was of the last importance that Judith and 
her sister should seek immediate refuge in the ark, where the 
defences offered a temporary shelter at least ; and the first step 
was to devise the means of inducing them to do so. Hist 
showed herself in the stern of the scow, and made many 
gestures and signs, in vain, in order to induce the girls to make 
a circuit to avoid the castle, and to approach the ark from tlie 
eastward. But these signs were distrusted or misunderstood. 
It is probable Judith was not yet sufficiently aware of the real 
state of things, to put full confidence in either party. Instead 
of doing as desired, she rather kept more aloof ; paddling 
slowly back to the north, or into the broadest part of the lake, 
where she could command the widest view, and had the fairest 
field for flight before her. At this instant the sun appeared 
above the pines of the eastern range of mountains, and a light 
southerly breeze arose, as was usual enough at that season and 
hour. 


THE DEERSLAYEE 


373 


Chingachgook lost no time in hoisting the sail. Whatever 
might be in reserve for him, there conld be no question that it 
was every w*ay desirable to get the ark at such a distance from 
the castle, as to reduce his enemies to the necessity of approach- 
ing the former in the canoe, which the chances of war had so 
inopportunely for his wishes and security thrown into their 
hands. The appearance of the opening duck seemed first to 
arouse the Hurons from their apathy ; and by the time the head 
of the scow had fallen off before the wind, which it did unfor- 
tunately in the wrong direction, bringing it within a few yards 
of the platform. Hist found it necessary to warn her lover of 
the importance of covering his person against the rifles of his 
foes. This was a danger to be avoided under all circumstances, 
and so much the more, because the Delaware found that Hist 
would not take to the cover herself, so long as he remained 
exposed. Accordingly, Chingachgook abandoned the scow to 
its own movements, forced Hist into the cabin, the doors of 
which he immediately secured, and then he looked about him 
for the rifles. 

The situation of the parties was now so singular as to merit 
a particular description. The ark was within sixty yards of 
the castle, a little to the southward, or to windward of it, with 
its sail full, and the steering oar abandoned. The latter, for- 
tunately, was loose, so that it produced no great influence on 
the crab-like movements of the unwieldy craft. The sail being 
set, as sailors term it, flying, or having no braces, the air forced 
the yard forward though both sheets were fast. The effect was 
threefold on a boat with a bottom that was perfectly flat, and 
which drew merely some three or four inches of water. It 
pressed the head slowly round to leeward, it forced the whole 
fabric bodily in the same direction at the same time, and the 
water that unavoidably gathered under the lee gave the scow 
also a forward movement. All these clianges were exceedingly 
slow, however, for the wind was not only light, but it was baf- 


374 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


fling as usual, and twice or thrice the sail shook. Once it was 
absolutely taken aback. 

Had there been any keel to the ark, it would inevitably have run 
foul of the platform, bows on, when it is probable nothing could 
have prevented the Hurons from carrying it ; more particularly : 
as the sail would have enabled them to approach under cover. As ' 
it was, the scow wore slowly round, barely clearing that part of i 
the building. The piles projecting several feet, they were not ; 
cleared, but the head of the slow-moving craft caught between i 
two of them by one of its square corners, and hung. At this i 
moment the Delaware was vigilantly watching through a loop i 
for an opportunity to fire, while the Hurons kept within the ; 
building, similarly occupied. The exhausted warrior reclined | 
against the hut, there having been no time to remove him, and i 
Hurry lay, almost as helpless as a log, tethered like a sheep 
on its way to the slaughter, near the middle of the platform. ! 
Chingachgook could have slain the first at any moment, but his i 
scalp would have been safe, and the young chief disdained to ‘ 
strike a blow that could lead to neither honor nor advantage. 

“ Run out one of the poles, Sarpent, if Sarpent you be,” | 
said Hurry, amid the groans that the tightness of the ligatures | 
was beginning to extort from him ; “ run out one of the poles, ! 
and shove the head of the scow oft', and you ’ll drift clear of us 
— and, when you ’ve done that good turn for yourself\ just : 
finish this gagging blackguard for me.” ! 

The appeal of Hurry, however, had no other effect than to i 
draw the attention of Hist to his situation. This quick-witted < 
creature comprehended it at a glance. His ankles were bound I 
with several turns of stout bark rope, and his arms, above the 
elbows, were similarly secured behind his back, barely leaving j 
him a little play of the hands and wrists. Putting her mouth ( 
near a loop, she said, in a low but distinct voice, — 

“Why you don’t roll here, and fall in scow? Chingachgook i 
shoot Huron if he chase ! ” | 


THE DEERSLA YER 


375 


“ By the Lord, gal, that ’s a judgmatical thought, and it shall 
be tried, if the starn of your scow will come a little nearer. 
Put a bed at the bottom for me to fall on.” 

This was said at a happy moment, for, tired of waiting, all 
the Indians made a rapid discharge of their rifles, almost simul- 
taneously, injuring no one, though several bullets passed through 
the loops. Hist had heard part of Hurry’s words, but most of 
what he said was lost in the sharp reports of the fire-arms. 
She undid the bar of the door that led to the stern of the scow, 
but did not dare to expose her person. All this time the head 
of the ark hung, but by a gradually decreasing hold, as the 
other end swung slowly round, nearer and nearer to the plat- 
form. Hurry, who now lay with his face towards the ark, 
occasionally writhing and turning over like one in pain, evolu- 
tions he had performed ever since he was secured, watched every 
change, and at last he saw that the whole vessel was free, and 
was beginning to grate slowly along the sides of the piles. The 
attempt was desperate, but it seemed the only chance for escap- 
ing torture and death, and it suited the reckless daring of the 
man’s character. Waiting to the last moment, in order that 
the stern of the scow might fairly rub against the platform, he 
began to writhe again, as if in intolerable suffering, execrating 
all Indians in general, and the Hurons in particular, and then 
he suddenly and rapidly rolled over and over, taking the direc- 
tion of the stern of the scow. Unfortunately, Hurry’s shoulders 
required more space to revolve in than his feet, and by the 
time he reached the edge of the platform, his direction had so 
far changed as to carry him clear of the ark altogether ; and 
the rapidity of his revolutions, and the emergency, admitting of 
no delay, he fell into the water. At this instant, Chingach- 
gook, by an understanding with his betrothed, drew the fire of 
the Hurons again, not a man of whom saw the manner in which 
one whom they knew to be effectually tethered, had disappeared. 
But Hist’s feelings were strongly interested in the success of so 


376 


THE DEERS LAYER 


bold a scheme, and she watched the movements of Hurry as | 
the cat watches the mouse. The moment he was in motion 
she foresaw the consequences, and this the more readily, as the i 
scow was now beginning to move with some steadiness, and she | 
bethought her of the means of saving him. With a sort of || 
instinctive readiness, she opened the door at the very moment j 
the rifles were ringing in her ears, and protected by the inter- , 
veiling cabin, she stepped into tlie stern of the scow in time to 
witness the fall of Hurry into the lake. Her foot was uncon- 
sciously placed on the end of one of tlie sheets of the sail, which 
was fastened aft, and catching up all the spare rope, with the ■ 
awkwardness, but also with the generous resolution of a woman, 
she threw it in the direction of the helpless Hiiriy. The line 
fell on the head and body of the sinking man, and he not only 
succeeded in grasping separate parts of it with his hands, but 
he actually got a portion of it between his teeth. Hurry was 
an expert swimmer, and, tethered as he was, he resorted to the J 
very expedient that philosophy and reflection would have sug- jl 
gested. He had fallen on his back, and instead of floundering 
and drowning himself by desperate efforts to walk on the water, j 
he permitted his body to sink as low as possible, and was al- 
ready submerged, with the exception of his face, when the line | 
reached him. In this situation he might possibly have remained 
until rescued by the Hurons, using his hands as fishes use their f 
fins, had he received no other succor ; but the movement of the 
ark soon tightened the rope, and of course he was dragged , 
gently ahead, holding even pace with the scow. The motion ; 
aided in keeping his face above the surface of the water, and it i 
would have been possible for one accustomed to endurance to \ 
have been towed a mile in this singular but simple manner. 

It has been said that the Hurons did not observe the sudden 
disappearance of Hurry. In his present situation, he was not 
only hid from view by the platform, but as the ark drew slowly 
ahead, impelled by a sail that was now filled, he received the 


THE DEEHSLA YER 


377 


same friendly service from the piles. The Hurons, indeed, 
were too intent on endeavoring to slay their Delaware foe, by 
sending a bullet through some one of the loops or crevices of 
the cabin to bethink them at all of one whom they fancied so 
thoroughly tied. Their great concern was, the manner in which 
the ark rubbed past the piles, although its motion was lessened 
at least one half by the friction, and they passed into the north- 
ern end of the castle, in order to catch opportunities of firing 
through the loops of that part of the building. Chingachgook 
was similarly occupied, and remained as ignorant as his enemies 
of the situation of Hurry. As the ark grated along the rifles 
sent their little clouds of smoke from one cover to the other, but 
the eyes and movements of the opposing parties were too quick 
to permit any injury to be done. At length one side had the 
mortification, and the other the pleasure, of seeing the scow 
swing clear of the piles altogether, when it immediately moved 
away, with a materially accelerated motion, towards the north. 

Chingachgook now first learned from Hist the critical condi- 
tion of Hurry. To have exposed either of their persons in the 
stern of the scow would have been certain death ; but, fortu- 
nately, the sheet to which the man clung, led forward to the 
foot of the sail. The Delaware found means to unloosen it 
from the cleet aft ; and Hist, who was already forward for 
that purpose, immediately began to pull upon the line. At 
this moment Hurry was towing fifty or sixty feet astern, with 
nothing but his face above water. As he was dragged out 
clear of the castle and the piles, he was first perceived by the 
Hurons, who raised a hideous yell, and commenced a fire on 
what may very well be termed the floating mass. It was 
at the same instant that Hist began to pull upon the line for- 
-vvard — a circumstance that probably saved Hurry’s life, aided 
by his own self-possession and border readiness. The first 
bullet struck the water directly on the spot where the broad 
chest of the young giant was visible through the pure element, 


378 


THE DEERSLAYER 


and might have pierced his heart had the angle at which it , 
was fired been less acute. Instead of penetrating the lake, , 
however, it glanced from its smooth surface, rose, and actually I 
buried itself in the logs of the cabin, near the spot at which | 
Chingachgook had shown himself the minute before, while j 
clearing the line from the cleet. A second, and a third, and ■ 
a fourth bullet followed, all meeting with the same resistance 
from the surface of the water ; though Hurry sensibly felt the 
violence of the blows they struck upon the lake so immediately 
above, and so near his breast. Discovering their mistake, the 
Hurons now changed their plan, and aimed at the uncovered | 
face ; but by this time. Hist was pulling on the line, the | 
target advanced, and the deadly missiles still fell upon the i 
water. In another moment the body was dragged past the end I 
of the scow, and became concealed. As for the Delaware and 
Hist, they worked perfectly covered by the cabin, and in j 
less time than it requires to tell it they had hauled the huge I 
frame of Hurry to the place they occupied. Chingachgook ' 
stood in readiness with his keen knife, and bending over the 
side of the scow, he soon severed the bark that bound the i 
limbs of the borderer. To raise him high enough to reach 
the edge of the boat, and to aid him in entering, were less 
easy tasks, as Hurry’s arms were still nearly useless ; but 
both were done in time, when the liberated man staggered 
forward, and fell, exhausted and helpless, into the bottom of 
the scow. Here we shall leave him to recover his strength 
and the due circulation of his blood, while we proceed with the 
narrative of events that crowd upon us too fast to admit of 
any postponement. 

The moment the Hurons lost sight of the body of Hurry, 
they gave a common yell of disappointment, and three of the 
most active of their number ran to tlie trap and entered the 
canoe. It required some little delay, however, to embark with 
their weapons, to find the paddles, and if we may use a phrase 


THE DEERSLAYER 


379 


so purely technical, “ to get out of dock.” By this time Hurry 
was in the scow, and the Delaware had his rides again in readi- 
ness. As the ark necessarily sailed before the wind, it had got 
by this time quite two hundred yards from the castle, and was 
sliding away each instant, farther and farther, though with a 
motion so easy as scarcely to stir the water. The canoe of the 
girls was quite a quarter of a mile distant from the ark, obviously 
keeping aloof, in ignorance of what had occurred, and in appre- 
hension of the consequences of venturing too near. They had 
taken the direction of the eastern shore, endeavoring at the 
same time to get to windward of the ark, and in a manner 
between the two parties, as if distrusting which was to be con- 
sidered a friend, and which an enemy. The girls, from long 
habit, used the paddles with great dexterity ; and Judith, in 
particular, had often sportively gained races, in trials of speed, 
with the youths that occasionally visited the lake. 

When the three Hurons emerged from behind the palisades, 
and found themselves on the open lake, and under the neces- 
sity of advancing unprotected on the ark, if they persevered in 
the original design, their ardor sensibly cooled. In a bark 
canoe, they were totally without cover, and Indian discretion 
was entirely opposed to such a sacrifice of life as would most 
probably follow any attempt to assault an enemy, entrenched 
as effectually as the Delaware. Instead of following the ark, 
therefore, these three warriors inclined towards the eastern 
shore, keeping at a safe distance from the riffes of Chingach- 
gook. But this manoeuvre rendered the position of the girls 
exceedingly critical. It threatened to place them if not 
between two fires, at least between two dangers, or what they 
conceived to be dangers ; and, instead of permitting the Hurons 
to inclose her in what she fancied a sort of net Judith immedi- 
ately commenced her retreat, in a southern direction, at no very 
great distance from the shore. She did not dare to land ; if 
such an expedient were to be resorted to at all, she could only 


380 


THE DEERSLAYER 


venture on it in the last extremity. At first the Indians joaid 
little or no attention to the other canoe ; for, fully apprised of 
its contents, they deemed its capture of comparatively little 
moment ; while the ark, with its imaginary treasures, the per- 
sons of the Delaware and of Hurry, and its means of move- 
ment on a large scale, was before them. But this ark had its 
dangers as well as its temptations ; and after w^asting near an 
hour in vacillating evolutions, always at a safe distance from 
the rifle, the Hurons seemed suddenly to take their resolution, 
and began to display it by giving eager chase to the girls. 

When this last design was adopted, the circumstances of all 
parties, as connected with their relative positions, were materi- 
ally changed. The ark had sailed and drifted quite half a 
mile, and was nearly that distance due north of the castle. 
As soon as the Delaware perceived that the girls avoided him, 
unable to manage his unwieldy craft, and knowing that flight 
from a bark canoe, in the event of pursuit, would be a useless 
expedient if attempted, he had lowered his sail, in the hope it 
might induce the sisters to change their plan, and to seek 
refuge in the scow. This demonstration produced no other 
effect than to keep the ark nearer to the scene of action, and to 
enable those in her to become witnesses of the chase. The 
canoe of Judith was about a quarter of a mile south of that of 
the Hurons, a little nearer to the east shore, and about the 
same distance to the southward of the castle as it was from the 
hostile canoe, a circumstance which necessarily put the last 
nearly abreast of Hutter’s fortress. With the several parties 
thus situated, the chase commenced. 

At the moment when the Hurons so suddenly changed their 
mode of attack, the canoe was not in the best possible racing 
trim. There were but two paddles, and the third man was so 
much extra and useless cargo. Then the difference in weight 
between the sisters and the other two men, more especially 
in vessels so extremely light, almost neutralized any diflerence 


THE DEERSLAYER 


381 


that might proceed from the greater strength of the Hurons, 
and rendered the trial of speed far from being as unequal as it 
might seem. Judith did not commence her exertions until the 
near approach of the other canoe rendered the object of the 
movement certain, and then she excited Hetty to aid her with 
her utmost skill and strength. 

“Why should we run, Judith?” asked the simple-minded 
girl ; “ the Hurons have never harmed me, nor do I think they 
ever will.” 

“ That may be true as to you, Hetty, but it will prove very 
different with me. Kneel down and say your prayer, and then 
rise, and do your utmost to help escape. Think of me, dear 
girl, too, as you pray.” 

Judith gave these directions from a mixed feeling; first, 
because she knew that her sister ever sought the support of 
her Great Ally, in trouble ; and next, because a sensation of 
feebleness and dependence suddenly came over her own proud 
spirit, in that moment of apparent desertion and trial. The 
prayer was quickly said, however, and the canoe was soon in 
rapid motion. Still, neither party resorted to their greatest 
exertions from the outset, both knowing that the chase was 
likely to be arduous and long. Like two vessels of war that 
are preparing for an encounter, they seemed desirous of first 
ascertaining their respective rates of speed, in order that they 
might know how to graduate their exertions, previously to the 
great effort. A few minutes sufficed to show the Hurons that 
the girls were expert, and that it would require all their skill 
and energies to overtake them. 

Judith had inclined towards the eastern shore at the 
commencement of the chase, with a vague determination of 
landing and flying to the w^oods, as a last resort ; but as she 
approached the land, the certainty that scouts must be watch- 
ing her movements, made her reluctance to adopt such an ex- 
pedient unconquerable. Then she was still fresh, and had 


382 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


sanguine hopes of being able to tire out her pursuers. With 
such feelings, she gave a sweep with her paddle, and sheered off 
from the fringe of dark hemlocks, beneath the shades of which 
she was so near entering, and held her way again more towards 
the centre of the lake. This seemed the instant favorable for 
the Hurons to make their push, as it gave them the entire 
breadth of the sheet to do it in ; and this, too, in the widest 
part, as soon as they had got between the fugitives and the 
land. The canoes now ffew ; J udith making up for what she 
wanted in strength, by her great dexterity and self-command. 
For half a mile the Indians gained no material advantage, but 
the continuance of so great exertions for so many minutes sen- 
sibly affected all concerned. Here the Indians resorted to an 
expedient that enabled them to give one of their party time 
to breathe, by shifting their paddles from hand to hand, and 
this, too, without sensibly relaxing their efforts. Judith occa- 
sionally looked beliind her, and she saw this expedient practised. 
It caused her immeiliately to distrust the result, since her 
powers of endurance were not likely to hold out against those 
of men who had the means of relieving each other ; still she 
persevered, allowing no very visible consequences immediately 
to follow the change. 

As yet, the Indians had not been able to get nearer to the 
girls than two hundred yards, though they were what seamen 
would term “ in their wake ” ; or in a direct line behind them, 
passing over the same track of water. This made the pursuit 
what is technically called a “ stern chase,” which is proverb- 
ially a “ long chase ” ; the meaning of which is, that in 
consequence of the relative positions of the parties no change 
becomes apparent, except that which is a direct gain in the 
nearest possible approach. “ Long” as this species of chase is 
admitted to be, however, Judith was enabled to perceive that 
the Hurons were sensibly drawing nearer and nearer, before 
she had gained the centre of the lake. She was not a girl to 


THE DEERSLAYER 


383 


I despair ; but there was an instant when she thought of yielding, 
I; with the wish of being carried to the camp where she knew 
I the Deerslayer to be a captive ; but the considerations connected 
j with tlie means she hoped to be able to employ, in order to 
I procure Ins release, immediately interposed, in order to stimu- 
li late her to renewed exertions. Had there been any one there 
s to note the progress of the two canoes, he would have seen 
! that of Judith flying swiftly away from its pursuers, as the 
I girl gave it freshly impelled speed, while her mind was thus 
I dwelling on her own ardent and generous schemes. So material, 
I indeed, was the difference in the rate of going between the two 
j canoes, for the next five minutes, that the Hurons began to be 

; convinced all their powers must be exerted, or they would 

I suffer the disgrace of being baffled by women. Making a 

I furious effort, under the mortification of such a conviction, one 

of the stronger of their party broke his paddle, at the very 
moment when he had taken it from the hand of a comrade, to 
relieve him. This at once decdded the matter ; a canoe contain- 
ing three men, and having but one paddle, being utterly unable 
to overtake fugitives like the daughters of Thomas Hutter. 

“ There, Judith ! ” exclaimed Hetty, who saw the accident, 
“ I hope, now, you will own that praying is useful ! The 
Hurons have broke a paddle, and they never cmi overtake 
us.” 

“ I never denied it, poor Hetty ; and sometimes wish, in bit- 
terness of spirit, that I had prayed more myself, and thought 
less of my beauty. As you say, we are now safe, and need 
only go a little south, and take breath.” 

This was done ; the enemy giving up the pursuit, as suddenly 
as a ship that has lost an important spar, the instant the acci- 
dent occurred. Instead of following Judith’s canoe, which was 
now lightly skimming over the water towards the south, the 
Hurons turned their bows towards the castle, wliere they soon 
arrived and landed. The girls, fearful that some spare paddles 


384 


THE DEERSLAYER 


\ 

might be found in or about the buildings, continued on ; ncr 
did they stop until so distant from their enemies as to give 
them every chance of escape, should the chase be renewed. It 
would seem that the savages meditated no such design, but at 
the end of an hour their canoe, filled with men, was seen quit-; 
ting the castle, and steering towards the shore. The girls werej 
without food, and they now drew nearer to the buildings and" 
the ark, having finally made up their minds, from its manoeuvres, 
that the latter contained friends. 1 

Notwithstanding the seeming desertion of the castle, Judith j 
approached it with extreme caution. The ark was now quitef 
a mile to the northward, but sweeping up towards the build- 1 
ing ; and this, too, with a regularity of motion that satisfied 
Judith a white man was at the oars. When within a hundred I 
yards of the building, the girls began to encircle it, in order to I 
make sure that it was empty. No canoe was nigh, and this! 
emboldened them to draw nearer and nearer, until they had| 
gone round the piles and reached the platform. ’ 

“ Do you go into the house, Hetty,” said Judith, “ and see ^ 
that the savages are gone. They will not harm you ; and if r: 
any of them are still here, you can give me the alarm. I do ' 
not think they will fire on a poor, defenceless girl, and I at 
least may escape, until I shall be ready to go among them of 
my own accord.” 

Hetty did as desired, Judith retiring a few yards from the 
platform the instant her sister landed, in readiness for flight. 
But the last was unnecessary, not a minute elapsing before 
Hetty returned to communicate that all was safe. 

“ I Ve been in all the rooms, Judith,” said the latter, earnestly, 

“ and they are empty, except father’s ; he is in his own cham- 
ber, sleeping, though not as quietly as we could wish.” 

“Has anything happened to father?” demanded Judith, as 
her foot touched the platform, speaking quick, for her nerves 
were in a state to be easily alarmed. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


385 


Hetty seemed concerned, and she looked furtively about her, 
as if unwilling any one but a child should hear what she had 
to communicate, and even that she should learn it abruptly. 

“ You know how it is with father, sometimes, Judith,” she said. 
“ When overtaken with liquor he does n’t always know what he 
says or does ; and he seems to be overtaken with liquor, now.” 

“ That is strange ! Would the savages have drunk with him, 
and then leave him behind ? But ’t is a grievous sight to a 
child, Hetty, to witness such a failing in a parent, and we will 
not go near him till he wakes.” 

A groan from the inner room, however, changed this resolu- 
tion, and the girls ventured near a parent, whom it was no 
unusual thing for them to find in a condition that lowers a man 
to the level of brutes. He was seated, reclining in a corner of 
a narrow room, with his shoulders supported by the angle, and 
his head fallen heavily on his chest. Judith moved forward 
with a sudden impulse, and removed a canvas cap that was 
forced so low on his head as to conceal his face, and, indeed, all 
but his shoulders. The instant this obstacle was taken away, 
the quivering and raw flesh, the bared veins and muscles, and 
all the other disgusting signs of mortality, as they are revealed 
by tearing away the skin, showed he had been scalped, though 
still living. 


CHAPTER XXI 


“ Lightly they ’ll talk of the spirit that ’s gone 
And o’er his cold ashes upbraid him, — 

But nothing he ’ll reck, if they let him sleep on 
In the grave where a Briton has laid him.” 

Wolfe. 

The reader must imagine the horror that daughters would 
experience at unexpectedly beholding the shocking spectacle 
that was placed before the eyes of Judith and Esther, as related 


380 


THE DEERSLAYEM 


! 

in the close of the last chapter. We shall pass over the first 
emotions, the first acts of filial piety, and proceed with the nar- 
rative, by imagining rather than relating most of the revolting 
features of the scene. The mutilated and ragged head was 
bound up, the unseemly blood was wiped from the face of the 
sufferer, the other appliances required by appearances and care 
were resorted to, and there was time to inquire into the more 
serious circumstances of the case. The facts were never known 
until years later, in all their details, simple as they were ; but 
they may as well be related here, as it can be done in a few 
words. In the struggle with the Hurons, Hutter had been 
stabbed by the knife of the old warrior, who had used the dis- 
cretion to remove tiie arms of every one but himself. Being 
hard pushed by his sturdy foe his knife settled the matter. 
This occurred just as the door was opened and Hurry burst out 
upon the platform, as has been previously related. This was 
the secret of neither party’s having appeared in the subsequent • 
struggle ; Hutter having been literally disabled, and his con- 
queror being ashamed to be seen with the traces of blood about 
him, after having used so many injunctions to convince his 
young warriors of the necessity of taking their prisoners alive. 
When tlie three Hurons returned from the chase, and it was 
determined to abandon the castle and join the party on the 
land, Hutter was simply scalped, to secure the usual trophy, 
and was left to die by inches, as has been done in a thousand 
similar instances by the ruthless warriors of this part of the 
American continent. Had the injury to Hutter been confined 
to his head, he might have recovered, however ; for it was the 
blow of the knife that proved mortal. 

There are moments of vivid consciousness, when the stern 
justice of God stands forth in colors so prominent as to defy 
any attempts to veil them from the sight, however unpleasant 
they may appear, or however anxious we may be to avoid recog- 
nizing it. Such was now the fact with Judith and Hetty, who i 


THE DEERSLAYER 


387 


both perceived the decrees of a retributive Providence, in the 

• manner of their father’s suffering, as a punishment for his own 

* recent attempts on the Iroquois. This was seen and felt by 
t Judith, with the keenness of perception and sensibility that were 
} suited to her character ; while the impression made on the sim- 
'I pier mind of her sister was perhaps less lively, though it might 
I well have proved more lasting. 

f “0! Judith,” exclaimed the weak-minded girl, as soon as 
their first care had been bestowed on the sufferer. “ Father 
[ went for scalps, himself, and now where is his own? The 
j Bible might have foretold this dreadful punishment ! ” 

“ Hush ! Hetty — hush ! poor sister ; he opens his eyes ; he 
I may hear and understand you. ’T is as you say and think ; but 
; ’t is too dreadful to speak of ! ” 

' “ Water ! ” ejaculated Hutter, as it might he by a desperate 

1 effort, that rendered his voice frightfully deep and strong, for 
I one as near death as he evidently was ; “ water ! foolish girls 
I — will you let me die of thirst?” 

; Water was brought and administered to the sufferer ; the 
first he had tasted in hours of physical anguish. It had the 
double effect of clearing his throat, and of momentarily reviving 
his sinking system. His eyes opened with that anxious, dis- 
tended gaze, which is apt to accompany the passage of a soul 
surprised by death, and he seemed disposed to speak. 

“Father,” said Judith, inexpressibly pained by his deplorable 
situation, and this so much the more from her ignorance of 
what remedies ought to be applied, “ father, can we do any- 
thing for you ? Can Hetty and I relieve your pain ? ” 

“ Father ! ” slowly repeated the old man. “No, Judith — no, 
Hetty — I ’m no father. She was your mother, but I ’m no father. 
Look in the chest — ’t is all there — give me more water.” 

The girls complied ; and Judith, whose early recollections 
extended farther back than her sister’s, and who, on every 
account, had more distinct impressions of the past, felt an 


388 


THE DEERSLAYER 


uncontrollable impulse of joy as she heard these words. There 
had never been much sympathy between her reputed father and 
herself, and suspicions of this very truth had often glanced 
across her mind, in consequence of dialogues she had overheard 
between Hutter and her mother. It might be going too far to 
say she had never loved him ; but it is not so to add, that she 
rejoiced it was no longer a duty. With Hetty the feeling was 
different. Incapable of making all the distinctions of her sister, 
her very nature was full of affection, and she had loved her 
reputed parent, though far less tenderly than the real parent ; 
and it grieved her, now, to hear him declare he was not naturally 
entitled to that love. She felt a double grief, as if his death 
and his words together were twice depriving her of parents. 
Yielding to her feelings, the poor girl went aside and wept. 

The very opposite emotions of the two girls kept both silent 
for a long time. Judith gave water to the sufferer frequently, 
and she forbore to urge him with questions, in some measure 
out of consideration for his condition ; but, if truth must be 
said, quite as much lest something he should add, in the way of 
explanation, might disturb her pleasing belief that she was not 
Thomas Mutter’s child. At length Hetty dried her tears, and 
came and seated herself on a stool by the side of the dying man, 
who had been placed at his length on the floor, with his head 
supported by some worn vestments that had been left in the 
house. 

“ Father,” she said, “ you will let me call you father, though 
you say you are not one, — father, shall I read the Bible to 
you, — mother always said the Bible was good for people in 
trouble. She was often in trouble herself, and then she made 
me read the Bible to her — for Judith was n’t as fond of the 
Bible as I am — and it always did her good. Many is the 
time I ’ve known mother begin to listen with the tears streaming 
from her eyes, and end with smiles and gladness. 0 ! father, 
you don’t know how much good the Bible can do, for you ’ve 


THE DEERS LAYER 


389 


never tried it ; now, I ’ll read a chapter, and it will soften your 
I heart, as it softened the hearts of the Hurons.” 

I While poor Hetty had so much reverence for, and faith in, 
I the virtue of the Bible, her intellect was too shallow to enable 
her fully to appreciate its beauties, or to fathom its profound 
and sometimes mysterious wisdom. That instinctive sense of 
right, which appeared to shield her from the commission of 
wrong, and even cast a mantle of moral lo"\oliness and tmth 
around her character, could not penetrate ab..trusities, or trace 
the nice affinities between cause and eftect, beyond their more 
obvious and indisputable connection, though she seldom failed 
to see the latter, and to defer to all their just consequences. In 
a word, she was one of those who feel and act correctly, with- 
1 out being able to give a logical reason for it, even admitting 
[revelation as her authority. Her selections fi’om the Bible, 

I therefore, were commonly distinguished by the simplicity of her 
I own mind, and were oftener marked for containing images of 
I known and palpable things, than for any of the higher cast of 
! moral truths with which the pages of that wonderful book abound 
' — wonderful and unequalled, even without referring to its divine 
origin, as a work replete with the profoundest philosophy, ex- 
pressed in the noblest language. Her mother, Avith a connec- 
tion that will probably strike the reader, had been fond of the 
book of Job, and Hetty had, in a great measure, learned to read 
by the frequent lessons she had receh^ed from the different 
chapters of this venerable and sublime poem, uoav believed to 
be the oldest book in the world. On this occasion, the poor 
girl was submissiA^e to her training, and she turned to that 
well-known part of the sacred volume, with the readiness with 
Avhich the practised counsel would cite his authorities from the 
stores of legal Avisdom. In selecting the particular chapter, she 
AA^as influenced by the caption, and she chose that which stands 
in our English version as, “ Job excuseth his desire of deathj 
This she read steadily, from beginning to end, in a SAAxet, Ioav 


390 


THE DEERSLAYER 


and plaintive voice ; hoping devoutly that the allegorical and 
abstruse sentences might convey to the heart of the sulferer the 
consolation he needed. It is another peculiarity of the compre- 
hensive wisdom of the Bible, that scarce a chapter, unless it be 
strictly narrative, can be turned to, that does not contain some 
searching truth that is applicable to the condition of every 
human heart, as well as to the temporal state of the owner, 
either through the workings of that heart, or even in a still 
more direct form. In this instance, the very opening sentence 
— “ /s there not an appointed time to man on earth f ” — was 
startling ; and as Hetty proceeded, Hutter applied, or fancied 
he could apply, many aphorisms and figures to his own worldly 
and mental condition. As life is ebbing fast, the mind clings 
eagerly to hope, when it is not absolutely crushed by despair. 
The solemn words, “ I have sinned ; ivhat shall I do unto 
thee, 0 thou preserver of men ? Why hast thou set me as a 
mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself struck 
Hutter more perceptibly than the others ; and, though too 
obscure for one of his blunted feelings and obtuse mind either 
to feel or to comprehend in their fullest extent, they had a 
directness of application to his own state that caused him to 
wince under them. 

“Don’t you feel better now, father?” asked Hetty, closing 
the volume. “ Mother was always better when she had read 
the Bible.” 

“ Water,” returned Hutter ; “ give me water, Judith. I 
wonder if my tongue will always be so hot ! Hetty, is n’t 
there something in the Bible about cooling the tongue of a man 
who was burning in hell-fire?” 

Judith turned away, shocked ; but Hetty eagerly sought the 


passage, which she read aloud to the conscience-stricken victim 
of his own avaricious longings. 

“ That ’s it, poor Hetty ; yes, that ’s it. My tongue wants 
cooling, now ; what will it be hereafter 1 ” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


391 


This appeal silenced even the confiding Hetty, for she had no 
answer ready for a confession so fraught with despair. Water, 
so long as it could relieve the sutterer, it was in the power of 
the sisters to give ; and, from time to time, it was offered to 
the lips of the sufferer as he asked for it. Even Judith prayed. 
As for Hetty, as soon as she found that her efforts to make her 
father listen to her texts were no longer rewarded with success, 
she knelt at his side, and devoutly repeated the words which 
the Saviour has left behind Him as a model for human peti- 
tions. This she continued to do, at intervals, as long as it 
seemed to her that the act could benefit the dying man. Hut- 
ter, however, lingered longer than the girls had believed possi- 
ble, when they first found him. At times bespoke intelligibly, 
though his lips oftener moved in utterance of sounds that car- 
ried no distinct impressions to the mind. Judith listened 
intently, and she heard the words “husband,” “death,” “pi- 
rate,” “law,” “scalps,” and several others of a similar import, 
though there was no sentence to tell the precise connection in 
which they were used. Still, they were sufficiently expressive 
to be understood by one whose ears had not escaped all the 
rumors that had been circulated to her reputed father’s discredit, 
and whose comprehension was as quick as her faculties were 
attentive. 

During the whole of the painful hour that succeeded, neither 
of the sisters bethought her sufficiently of the Hurons to dread 
their return. It seemed as if their desolation and grief placed them 
above the danger of such an intemiption ; and when the sound of 
oars was at length heard, even Judith, who alone had any reason 
to apprehend the enemy, did not start, but at once understood 
that the ark was near. She went upon the platform fearlessly ; 
for should it turn out that Hurry was not there, and that the 
Hurons were masters of the scow also, escape was impossible. 
Then she had the sort of confidence that is inspired by extreme 
misery. But there was no cause for any new alarm, — Chin- 


392 


THE HEERSLAYER 


gachgook, Hist, and Hurry all standing in the open part of the 
scow, cautiously examining the building, to make certain of the 
absence of the enemy. They, too, had seen the departure of 
the Hurons, as well as the approach of the canoe of the girls 
to the castle, and, presuming on the latter fact, March had 
swept tiie scow up to the platform. A word sufficed to explain 
that there was nothing to be apprehended, and the ark was soon 
moored in her old berth. 

Judith said not a word concerning the condition of her 
father, but Hurry knew her too well not to understand that 
something was more than usually wrong. He led the way, 
though with less of his confident bold manner than usual, 
into the house, and penetrating to the inner room, found Hut- 
ter lying on his back, with Hetty sitting at his side, fanning 
him with pious care. The events of the morning had sensibly 
changed the manner of Hurry. Notwithstanding his skill as 
a swimmer, and the readiness with which he had adopted the 
only expedient that could possibly save him, the helplessness 
of being in the water bound hand and foot, had produced some 
such an effect on him as the near approach of punishment is 
known to produce on most criminals, leaving a vivid impres- 
sion of the horrors of death upon his mind, and this, too, in 
connection with a picture of bodily helplessness ; the daring of 
this man being far more the offspring of vast physical powers 
than of the energy of the will, or even of natural spirit. Such 
heroes invariably lose a large portion of their courage with the 
failure of their strength ; and, though Hurry was now unfet- 
tered, and as vigorous as ever, events were too recent to permit 
the recollection of his late deplorable condition to be at all 
weakened. Had he lived a century, the occurrences of I he 
few momentous minutes during which he was in the lake, 
would have produced a chastening effect on his cliaracter, if 
not always on his manner. 

Hurry was not only shocked when he found his late asso- 


THE DEERSLAYER 


S9S 


ciate in this desperate situation, but he was greatly surprised. 
During the struggle in the building, he had been far too much 
occupied himself to learn what had befallen his comrade, and, 
as no deadly weapon had been used in his particular case, but 
every effort had been made to capture him without injur}’-, he 
naturally believed that Hutter had been overcome, while he 
owed his own escape to his great bodily strength, and to a 
fortunate concurrence of extraordinary circumstances. Death, 
in the silence and solemnity of a chamber, w^as a novelty to 
him. Though accustomed to scenes of violence, he had been 
unused to sit by the bedside and watch the slow beating of the 
pulse as it gradually grew weaker and weaker. Notwithstand- 
ing the change in his feelings, the manners of a life could not 
/Ae altogether cast aside in a moment, and the unexpected scene 
I /xtorted a characteristic speech from the borderer. 
f “ How now ! old Tom,” he said, “ have the vagabonds got 
you at an advantage, where you ’re not only down, but are 
likely to be kept down ? I thought you a captyve, it ’s true, 
but never supposed you so hard run as this ! ” 

Hutter opened his glassy eyes, and stared wildly at the 
speaker. A flood of confused recollections rushed on his wav- 
ering mind at the sight of his late comrade. It was evident 
that he struggled with his own images, and knew not the real 
from the unreal. 

“ Who are you ? ” he asked in a husky whisper, his failing 
strength refusing to aid him in a louder effort of his voice. 
“Who are you? You look like the mate of the Snow — he 
was a giant, too, and near overcoming us.” 

“ I ’m your mate. Floating Tom, and your comrade, but 
have nothing to do with any snow. It ’s summer now, and 
Harry March always quits the hills as soon after the frosts set 
in as is convenient.” 

“ I know you — Hurry Scurry ; I ’ll sell you a scalp ! a 
sound one, and of a full grown man ; what ’ll you give 1 ” 


394 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Poor Tom ! That scalp business has n’t turned out at all i 
profitable, and I ’ve pretty much concluded to give it up, and £ 
to follow a less bloody calling.” i 

“ Have you got any scalp ? Mine ’s gone ; how does it feel 
to have a scalp ? I know how it feels to lose one — fire and I 
flames about the brain — and a wrenching at the heart ; no, no | 
— kill Hurry, and scalp afterivards.^^ | 

“What does the old fellow mean, Judith? He talks like S 
one that is getting tired of the business as well as myself. 
Why have you bound up his head 1 or have the savages toma- 
hawked him about the brains 1 ” 

“ They have done that for him which you and he, Harry 
March, would have so gladly done for them. His skin and hair 
have been torn from his head to gain money from the Governor 
of Canada, as you would have torn theirs from the heads of the ' 
Huron to gain money from the Governor of York.” \ 

Judith spoke with a strong effort to appear composed, but 
it was neither in her nature, nor in the feeling of the moment, | 
to speak altogether without bitterness. The strength of her I 
emphasis, indeed, as well as her manner, caused Hetty to look I 
up reproachfully. | 

“ These are high words to come from Thomas H utter’s 
darter, as Thomas Hutter lies dying before her eyes,” retorted ' 
Hurry. 

“ God be praised for that ! — whatever reproach it may bring 
on my poor mother, I am not Thomas Hutter’s daughter.” 

“Not Thomas Hutter’s darter ! Don’t disown the old fellow 
in his last moments, Judith, for that ’,<? a sin the Lord will never 
overlook. If you ’re not Thomas Hutter’s darter, whose darter 
be you ? ” 

This question rebuked the rebellious spirit of Judith ; for, in 
getting rid of a parent whom she felt it was a relief to find she 
might own she had never loved, she overlooked the important 
circumstance that no substitute was ready to supply his place. 


THE DEERSLA YER 395 

“ I cannot tell you, Harry, who my father was,” she answered 
more mildly ; “I hope he was an honest man, at least.” 

“ Which is more than you think was the case with old Hut- 
ter? Well, Judith, I ’ll not deny that hard stories were in cir- 
culation consarning Floating Tom, but who is there that does n’t 
get a scratch w^hen an inimy holds the rake ? There ’s them 
that say hard things of me ; and even you^ beauty as you be, 
don’t always escape.” 

This was said with a view to set up a species of community 
of character between the parties, and, as the politicians are 
wont to express it, with ulterior intentions. What might have 
been the consequences with one of Judith’s known spirit, as 
well as her assured antipathy to the speaker, it is not easy to 
say ; for just then H utter gave unequivocal signs that his last 
moment was nigh. Judith and Hetty had stood by the dying 
bed of their mother, and neither needed a monitor to warn 
them of the crisis, and every sign of resentment vanished from 
the face of the first. Hutter opened his eyes, and even tried 
to feel about him with his hands, a sign that sight was failing. 
A minute later his breathing grew ghastly; a pause totally 
without respiration followed ; and then succeeded the last long- 
drawn sigh, on which the spirit is supposed to quit the body. 
This sudden termination of the life of one who had hitherto 
filled so important a place in the narrow scene on which he 
had been an actor, put an end to all discussion. 

The day passed by without further interruption, the Hurons, 
though possessed of a canoe, appearing so far satisfied with 
their success as to have relinquished all immediate designs on 
the castle. It would not have been a safe undertaking, indeed, 
to approach it under the rifles of those it was now known to 
contain, and it is probable that the truce was more owing to this 
circumstance than to any other. In the meanwhile, the prepa- 
rations were made for the interment of Hutter. To bury him 
on the land was impracticable, and it was Hetty’s wish that 


396 


THE DEEHSLAYER 


his body should lie by the side of that of her mother, in the 
lake. She had it in her power to quote one of his speeches, 
in which he himself had called the lake the “ family burying- 
ground,” and luckily this was done without the knoAvledge of 
her sister, who would have opposed the plan had she known 
it, with unconquerable disgust But Judith had not meddled 
with the arrangement, and every necessary disposition was 
made without her privity or advice. 

The hour chosen for the rude ceremony was just as the sun 
was setting, and a moment and a scene more suited to paying 
the last office to one of calm and pure spirit, could not have 
been chosen. There are a mystery and a solemn dignity in 
death, that dispose the living to regard the remains of even 
malefactor with a certain degree of reverence. All worldly 
distinctions have ceased ; it is thought that the veil has been 
removed, and that the character and destiny of the departed 
are now as much beyond human opinions as they are beyond 
human ken. In nothing is death more truly a leveller than in 
this, since, while it may be impossible absolutely to confound 
the great with the low, the worthy with the unworthy, the 
mind feels it to be arrogance to assume a right to judge of 
those who are believed to be standing at the judgment-seat of 
God. When Judith was told that all was ready, she went 
upon the platform, passive to the request of her sister, and 
then she first took heed of the arrangement. The body was in 
the scow, enveloped in a sheet and quite a hundred-weight of 
stones, that had been taken from the fire-place, were inclosed 
with it in order that it might sink. No other preparation 
seemed to be thought necessary, though Hetty carried her 
Bible beneath her arm. 

When all were on board the ark, this singular habitation 
of the man whose body it now bore to its final abode, was set 
in motion. Hurry was at the oars. In his powerful hands, 
indeed, they seemed little more than a pair of sculls, which 


THE DEE RSI AYER 


397 


were wielded without effort, and as he was expert in their 
use, the Delaware remained a passive spectator of the proceed- 
ings. The progress of the ark had something of the stately 
solemnity of a funeral procession, the dip of the oars being 
measured, and the movement slow and steady. The wash 
of the water, as the blades rose and fell, kept time with the 
efforts of Hurry, and might have been likened to the 
measured tread of mourners. Then the tranquil scene was 
in beautiful accordance with a rite that ever associates with 
itself the idea of God. At that instant, the lake had not 
even a single ripple on its glassy surface, and the broad pano- 
rama of woods seemed to look down on the holy tranquillity 
of the hour and ceremony in melancholy stillness. Judith 
was affected to tears, and even Hurry, though he hardly 
knew why, was troubled. Hetty preserved the outward 
signs of tranquillity, but her inward grief greatly surpassed 
that of her sister, since her affectionate heart loved more 
from habit and long association, than from the usual connec- 
tions of sentiment and taste. She was sustained by religious 
hope, however, which in her simple mind occupied the space 
that worldly feelings filled in that of Judith ; and she was 
not without an expectation of witnessing some open mani- 
festation of divine power, on an occasion so solemn. Still, 
she was neither mystical nor exaggerated, her mental imbe- 
cility denying both. Nevertheless her thoughts had generally 
so much of the purity of a better world about them, that it 
was easy for her to forget earth altogether, and to think only 
of heaven. Hist was serious, attentive, and interested, for 
she had often seen the interments of the pale-faces, though 
never one that promised to be as peculiar as this ; while the 
Delaware, though grave, and also observant in his demeanor, 
was stoical and calm. 

Hetty acted as pilot, directing Hurry how to proceed, to 
find that spot in the lake which she was in the habit of 


398 


THE DEERSLAYER 


terming “ mother’s grave.” The reader will remember that the 15 
castle stood near the southern extremity of a shoal that extended || 
near half a mile northerly, and it was at the farthest end of this fc 
shallow water that Floating Tom had seen fit to deposit the re- J 



which she usually found the spot, although the position of the [i 
building, the general direction of the shoal, and the beautiful 
transparency of the water, all aided her, the latter even allow- 
ing the bottom to be seen. By these means the girl was enabled 
to note their progress, and at the proper time she approached 
March, whispering — 

“ Now, Hurry, you can stop rowing. We liave passed the 
stone on the bottom, and mother’s grave is near.” 

March ceased his efforts, immediately dropping the hedge, 
and taking the warp in his hand, in order to check the scow. 
The ark turned slowly round under this restraint, and when 
it was quite stationary, Hetty was seen at its stern, pointing 4 
into the water, the tears streaming from her eyes, in ungov- * 
ernable natural feeling. Judith had been present at the ! 
interment of her mother, but she had never visited the spot 
since. The neglect proceeded from no indifference to the 
memory of the deceased ; for she had loved her mother^ and ’ 
bitterly had she found occasion to mourn her loss ; but she ; 
was averse to the contemplation of death ; and there had 
been passages in her own life since the day of that inter- 
ment which increased this feeling, and rendered her, if pos- 
sible, still more reluctant to approach the spot that contained 
the remains of one whose severe lessons of female morality j 
and propriety had been deepened and rendered doubly im- 
pressive by remorse for her own failings. With Hetty, the , 
case had been very different. To her simple and innocent , 
mind, the remembrance of her mother brought no other feel- 
ing than one of gentle sorrow ; a grief that is so often termed 




THE DEERSLAYER 


399 


luxurious even, because it associates with itself the images 
of excellence, and the purity of a better state of existence. 
For an entire summer, she had been in the habit of repair- 
ing to the place after night-fall ; and carefully anchoring her 
canoe so as not to disturb the body, she would sit and hold 
; fancied conversations with the deceased, sing sweet hymns to 
the evening air, and repeat the orisons that the being who 
now slumbered below had taught her in infancy. Hetty had 
passed her happiest hours in this indirect communion with 
the spirit of her mother; the wildness of Indian traditions 
and Indian opinions, unconsciously to herself, mingling with 
i the Christian lore received in childhood. Once she had even 
been so far influenced by the former as to have bethought 
her of performing some of those physical rites at her mother’s 
grave which the redmen are known to observe ; but the pass- 
; ing feeling had been obscured by the steady, though mild 
I light of Christianity, which never ceased to burn in her gen- 
I tie bosom. Now her emotions were merely the natural out- 
pourings of a daughter that wept for a mother whose love 
was indelibly impressed on the heart, and whose lessons 
had been too earnestly taught to be easily forgotten by one 
i who had so little temptation to err. 

i There was no other priest than nature at that wild and sin- 
gular funeral rite. March cast his eyes below, and through 
! the transparent medium of the clear water, which was almost 
as pure as air, he saw what Hetty was accustomed to call 
“ mother’s grave.” It was a low, straggling mound of earth, 
fashioned by no spade, out of a corner of which gleamed a bit 
of the white cloth that formed the shroud of the dead. The 
body had been lowered to the bottom, and Hutter brought 
earth from the shore and let it fall upon it, until all was con- 
cealed. In this state the place had remained until the 
movement of the waters revealed the solitary sign of the uses 
of the spot that has just been mentioned. 


400 


THE HEERSLAYER 


Even the most rude and brawling are chastened by the 
ceremonies of a funeral. March felt no desire to indulge his 
voice in any of its coarse outbreakings, and was disposed to 
complete the office he had undertaken in decent sobriety. 
Perhaps he retiected on the retribution that had alighted on 
his late comrade, and bethought him of the frightful jeop- 
ardy in which his own life had so lately been })laced. He 
signified to Judith that all Avas ready, received her directions 
to proceed, and, with no other assistant than his OAvn vast 
strength, raised the body and bore it to the end of the scow. 
Two parts of a rope were passed beneath the legs and 
shoulders, as they are placed beneath coffins, and then the 
corpse was slowly lowered beneath the surface of the lake. 

“Not the7‘e — Harry March — no, not said Judith, 

shuddering involuntarily ; “do not lower it quite so near the 
spot Avhere mother lies ! ” 

“ Why not, Judith 1 ” asked Hetty, earnestly. “ They 
lived together in life, and should lie together in death.” 

“ No — no — Harry March, further off — further off. Poor 
Hetty, you knoAV not what you say. Leave me to order 
this.” 

“I know I am weak-minded, Judith, and that you are 
clever — but, surely a husband should be placed near a wife. 
Mother always said that this was tlie way they bury in 
Christian churchyards.” 

This little controversy was conducted earnestly, but in 
smothered voices, as if the speakers feared that the dead 
might overhear them. Judith could not contend with her 
sister at such a moment, but a significant gesture induced 
March to loAver the body at a little distance from that of 
his wife ; when he Avithdrew the cords, and the act Avas 
performed. 

“ There ’s an end of Floating Tom ! ” exclaimed Hurry, 
bending over the scoav, and gazing through the water at the 


THE DEEHSLA YKR 


401 


1 body. “ He was a brave companion on a scout, and a nota- 
ble hand with traps. Don’t weep, Judith — don’t be over- 
I come, Hetty, for the righteousest of us all must die ; and 
when the time comes, lamentations and tears can’t bring the 
dead to life. Your father will be a loss to you, no doubt ; 
most fathers are a loss, especially to onmarried darters ; but 
there ’s a way to cure that evil, and you ’re both too young 
and handsome to live long without finding it out. When it ’s 
agreeable to hear what an honest and onpretending man has 
to say, Judith, I should like to talk a little with you apart.” 

Judith had scarce attended to this rude attempt of Hurry’s 
at consolation, although she necessarily understood its general 
drift, and had a tolerably accurate notion of its manner. 
She was weeping at the recollection of her mother’s early 
tenderness, and painful images of long-forgotten lessons and 
neglected precepts were crowding her mind. The words of 
Hurry, however, recalled her to the present time, and abrupt 
and unreasonable as was their import, they did not produce 
those signs of distaste that one might have expected from the 
girl’s character. On the contrary, she appeared to be struck 
with some sudden idea, gazed intently for a moment at the 
young man, dried her eyes, and led the way to the other end 
of the scow, signifying her wish for him to follow. Here she 
took a seat, and motioned for March to place himself at her 
side. The decision and earnestness with which all this was done, 
a little intimidated her comi)anion, and Judith found it neces- 
sary to open the subject herself. 

“ You wish to speak to me of marriage, Harry March,” she 
said, “ and I have come here, over the grave of my parents, 
as it might be — no, no — over the grave of my poor, dear, 
dear mother, to hear what you have to say.” 

“ This is oncommon, and you have a skearful way with 
you, this evening, Judith,” answered Hurry, more disturbed 
than he would have cared to own ; “ but truth is truth, and 

2 L> 


402 


THE DEERSLAYER 


it shall come out, let what will follow. You well know, gal, 
that I Ve long thought you the comeliest young woman my 
eyes ever beheld, and that I Ve made no secret of that fact, 
either here on the lake, out among the hunters and trappers, 
or in the settlements.” 

“ Yes, yes, I ’ve heard this before, and I suppose it to be 
true,” answered Judith, with a sort of feverish impatience. 

“ When a young man holds such language of any particu- 
lar young woman, it ’s reasonable to calculate he sets store by 
her.” 

“ True — true, HuiTy ; all this you ’ve told me, again and 
again.” 

“ Well, if it ’s agreeable, I sliould think a woman could n’t 
hear it too often. They all tell me this is the w’ay with your 
sex ; that nothing pleases them more than to repeat, over and 
over, for the hundredth time, how much you like ’em unless it 
be to talk to ’em of their good looks ! ” 

“No doubt — we like both, on most occasions; but this is 
an uncommon moment. Hurry, and vain words should not be 
too freely used. I would rather hear you speak plainly.” 

“You shall have your own way, Judith, and I some sus- 
pect you always will. I ’ve often told you that I not only like 
you better than any other young woman going, or, for that 
matter, better than all the young women going ; but you must 
have obsarved, Judith, that 1 never asked you, in up and 
down tarms, to marry me.” 

“ I have observed both,” returned the girl, a smile struggling 
about her beautiful mouth, in spite of her singular and engross- 
ing intentness which caused her cheeks to Hush and lighted 
her eyes with a brilliancy that was almost dazzling, — “I 
have observed both, and have thought the last remarkable for 
a man of Harry March’s decision and fearlessness.” 

“ There ’s been a reason, gal, and it ’s one that troubles me 
even now — nay, don’t Hush up so, and look fiery-like, for there 


THE DEERSLAYER 


403 


i 
I 

: are thoughts which will stick long in any man’s mind, there 
: be w’ords wiiich will stick in his throat; but then, ag’in, 

I there ’s feelin’s that will get the better of ’em all, and to these 
I feelin’s I find I must submit. You’ve no longer a father, or a 
i mother, Judith ; and it ’s morally impossible that you and Hetty 
I could live here, alone, allowing it w’as peace and the Iroquois 
I was quiet ; but, as matters stand, not only w^oidd you starve, 

! T)ut you ’d both be prisoners, or scalped, afore a w’^eek was out. 

It ’s time to think of a change and a husband, and if you il 
r accept of me, all that’s past shall be forgotten, and there’s an 
end on ’t.” 

Judith had difficulty in repressing her impatience until this 
Hide declaration and offer was made, wiiich she evidently 
wished to hear, and wiiich she now listened to with a willing- 
ness that might well have excited hope. She hardly allowed 
the young man to conclude, so eager w'as she to bring him to a 
! point, and so ready to answer. 

I “There, Hurry, that’s enough,” slie said, raising a hand, as 
1 if to stop him ; “ I understand you as well as if you were to 
■ talk a month. You prefer me to other girls, and you wish me 
i to become your wife.” 

“You put it in better w^ords than I can do, Judith, and I 
wish you to fancy them said, just as you most like to hear 
’em.” 

“They’re plain enough. Hurry, and ’tis fitting they should 
be so. This is no place to trifle or deceive in. Now, listen to 
my answer, which shall be, in every tittle, as sincere as your 
offer. There is a reason, March, wiiy I should never — ” 

“ I suppose I understand you, Judith ; but if I ’m wnlling to 
overlook that reason, it’s no one’s consarn but mine. Now' 
don’t brighten up like the sky at sundowm ; for no offence is 
meant, and none should be taken.” 

“ I do not brighten up, and will not take offence,” said Judith, 
struggling to repress her indignation, in a way she had never 


404 


THE DEERSLAYER 


found it necessary to exert before. “ There is a reason why I 
should not, cannot, ever be your wife, Hurry, that you seem to 
overlook, and which it is my duty now to tell you, as plainly as 
you have asked me to consent to become so. I do not, and I 
am certain that I never shall love you well enough to marry 
you. No man can wish for a wife who does not prefer him to 
all other men ; and when I tell you this frankly, I suppose you 
yourself will thank me for my sincerity.” 

“0 Judith, them flaunting, gay, scarlet-coated officers of 
the garrisons have done all this mischief 

“ Hush, March ; do not calumniate a daughter over her 
mother’s grave. Do not, when I only wish to treat you fairly, 
give me reason to call for evil on your head, in bitterness of 
heart ! Do not forget that I am a woman, and that you are 
a man ; and that I have neither father nor brother to revenge 
your words.” 

“ Well, there is something in the last, and I’ll say no more. 
Take time Judith, and think better on this.” 

“ I want no time ; my mind has long been made up, and I 
have only waited for you to speak plainly, to answer plainly. 
We now understand each other, and there is no use in saying 
any more.” 

The impetuous earnestness of the girl awed the young man, 
for never before had he seen her so serious and determined. In 
most of their previous interviews she had met his advances with 
evasion or sarcasm ; but these Hurry had mistaken for female 
coquetry, and had supposed might easily be converted into con- 
sent. The struggle had been with himself, about offering ; nor 
had he ever seriously believed it possible that Judith would 
refuse to become the wife of the handsomest man on all that 
frontier. Now that the refusal came, and that in terms so 
decided as to put all cavilling out of the question, if not abso- 
lutely dumfounded, he was so much mortified and surprised as 
to feel no wish to attempt to change her resolution. 


THE DEKR^iLA YER 


405 


“ The Glimmerglass has now no great call for me,’' he 
exclaimed, after a minute’s silence. “ Old Tom is gone ; the 
Hurons are as plenty on shore as pigeons in the woods, and 
altogether, it is getting to be an onsuitable place.” 

“ Then leave it. You see it surrounded by dangers, and there 
> is no reason why you should risk your life for others. Nor do 
I know that you can be of any service to us. Go to-night; 
I we’ll never accuse you of having done anything forgetful or 
|! unmanly.” 

I “ If I do go, ’t will be with a heavy heart on your account, 

; Judith ; I would rather take you with me.” 
i “ That is not to be spoken of any longer, March ; but I will 
i land you in one of the canoes, as soon as it is dark, and you can 
I; strike a trail for the nearest garrison. When you reach the 
! fort, if you send a party — ” 

Judith smothered the words, for she felt that it -was humili- 
( ating to be thus exposing herself to the comments and reflec- 
] tions of one who was not disposed to view her conduct in 
1 connection with all in these garrisons with an eye of favor. 

1 Hurry, however, caught the idea ; and, without perverting it, 
i as the girl dreaded, he answered to the purpose. 

“ I understand tvhat you would say, and why you don’t say 
it,” he replied. “ If I get safe to the fort, a party shall start 
on the trail of these vagabonds, and I ’ll come with it myself ; 
for I should like to see you and Hetty in a place of safety, 
before we part forever.” 

“ Ah, Harry March, had you always spoken thus, felt thus, 
i my feelings towards you might have been different ! ” 

; “Is it too late, now, Judith? I’m rough, and a woodsman; 
but we all change under different treatment from what we have 
been used to.” 

“ It is too late, March. I can never feel towards you, or 
any other man but one^ as you would wish to have me. There, 
I ’ve said enough, surely, and you will question me no further. 


406 


THE DEERSLAYER 


As soon as it is dark, I or the Delaware will put you on the^- 
shore ; you will make the best of your way to the Mohawkj[; 
and the nearest garrison, and send all you can to our assist-1 
ance. And, Hurry, we are now friends, and I may trust you,?, 
may I not ? ” 

“ Sartain, Judith ; though our fri’ndship would have been allS 
the warmer, could you look upon me as I look upon you.” | 
Judith hesitated, and some powerful emotion was struggling^: 
within her. Then, as if determined to look down all weak-J 
nesses, and accomplish her purposes at every hazard, she spoke ^ 
more plainly. I 

“You will find a captain of the name of Warley, at the‘v 
nearest post,” she said, pale as death, and even trembling as| 
she spoke ; “ I think it likely he will wish to head the party 
I would greatly prefer it should be another. If Captain War- j| 
ley ca7i be kept back, ’t would make me very happy.” t 

“That’s easier said than done, Judith ; for these officers do ‘ 
pretty much as they please. The major will order, and captains, ^ 
and lieutenants, and ensigns must obey. I know the officer 
mean; a red-faced, gay, 0-be-joyful sort of a gentleman, who I 
swallows Madeira enough to drown the Mohawk, and yet a pleas- ( 
ant talker. All the gals in the valley admire him ; and they .4 
say he admires all the gals. I don’t wonder he is your dislike, ; 
Judith, for he’s a very gin’ral lover, if he is n’t a gin’ral officer.” j 
Judith did not answer, though her frame shook, and her 
color changed from pale to crimson, and from crimson back 
again to the hue of death. 

“ Alas ! my poor mother ! ” she ejaculated mentally, instead 
of uttering it aloud ; “ we are over thy grave, but little dost 
thou know how much thy lessons have been forgotten ; thy 
care neglected ; thy love defeated ! ” 

As this goading of the worm that never dies was felt, 
she arose, and signified to Hurry that she had no more to' 
communicate. 


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407 


CHAPTER XXII 

“ That point 

In misery, which makes the oppressed man 
Regardless of his own life, makes him too 
Lord of the oppressor’s.” 

Coleridge. 

All this time Hetty had remained seated in the head of the 
scow, looking sorrowfully into the water which held the body 
of her mother, as well as that of the man whom she had been 
taught to consider her father. Hist stood near her in gentle 
quiet, but had no consolation to offer in words. The habits of 
her people taught her reserve in this respect ; and the habits 
of her sex induced her to wait patiently for a moment when 
she might manifest some soothing sympathy by means of acts 
rather than of speech. Chingachgook held himself a little 
aloof, in grave reserve, looking like a warrior, but feeling like 
a man. 

Judith joined her sister with an air of dignity and solemnity 
it was not her practice to show ; and, though the gleamings 
of anguish were still visible on her beautiful face, when she 
spoke it was firmly and without tremor. At that instant. 
Hist and the Delaware withdrew, moving towards Hurry, in 
the other end of the boat. 

“ Sister,” said Judith, kindly, “ I have much to say to you ; 
we will get into this canoe, and paddle off to a distance from 
the ark ; the secrets of two orphans ought not to be heard by 
every ear.” 

“ Certainly, Judith, by the ears of their parents. Let Hurry 
lift the grapnel, and move away with the ark, and leave us 
here, near the graves of father and mother, to say what we may 
have to say.” 

“ Father ! ” repeated Judith, slowly, the blood for the first 


408 


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time since her parting, with March, mounting to her cheeks ; 
“ he was no father of ours, Hetty ! That we had from his own 
mouth, and in his dying moments.” 

“ Are you glad, J udith, to find you had no father ? He took care 
of us, and fed us, and clothed us, and loved us ; a father could 
have done no more. I don’t understand why he was n’t a father.” 

“ Never mind, dear child, but let us do as you have said. 
It may be well to remain here, and let the ark move a little 
away. Do you prepare the canoe, and I will tell Hurry and 
the Indians our wishes.” 

This was soon and simply done ; the ark moving, with meas- 
ured strokes of the sweeps, a hundred yards from the spot, 
leaving the girls floating, seemingly in air, above tlie place of 
the dead, so buoyant was the light vessel that held them, and 
so limpid the element by which it was sustained. 

“The death of Thomas Hutter,” Judith commenced, after a 
short pause had prepared her sister to receive her communica- 
tions, “ has altered all our prospects, Hetty. If he was not our 
father, we are sisters, and must feel alike and live together.” 

“How do I know, Judith, that you wouldn’t be as glad to 
find I am not your sister, as you are in finding that Thomas 
Hutter, as you call him, was not your father ? I am only half- 
witted, and few people like to have half-witted relations ; and 
then I ’m not handsome — at least, not as handsome as you — 
and you may wish a handsomer sister.” 

“No, no, Hetty. You and you only are my sister — my 
heart, and my love for you, tell me that ; and mother was my 
mother — of that, too, am I glad and proud ; for she was a 
mother to be proud of — but father was not father ! ” 

“ Hush, Judith ! His spirit may be near ; it would grieve 
it to hear his children talking so, and that, too, over his very 
grave. Children should never grieve parents, mother often told 
me, and especially when they are dead ! ” 

“ Poor Hetty ! They are happily removed beyond all cares 


THE DKERSLA YER 


409 


on our accounts. Nothing that I can do or say will cause 
mother any sorrow ncnv — there is some consolation in that, at 
least ! — and nothing you can say or do, will make her smile, 
as she used to smile on your good conduct when living.” 

“ You don’t know that, Judith. Spirits can see, and mother 
may see as well as any spirit. She always told us that God 
saw all we did, and that we should do nothing to offend him ; 
and now she has left us, I strive to do nothing that can dis- 
please her. Think how her spirit would mourn and feel sorrow, 
Judith, did it see either of us doing what is not right ; and 
spirits may see, after all ; especially the spirits of parents that 
feel anxious about their children.” 

“ Hetty, Hetty — you know not what you say ! ” murmured 
Judith, almost livid with emotion. “ The dead cannot see, 
and know nothing of what passes here ! But w^e will not talk 
of this any longer. The bodies of mother and Thomas Hutter 
lie together in the lake, and we will hope that the spirits of 
both are with God. That we, the children of one of them, 
remain on earth is certain ; it is now proper to know what we 
are to do in the future.” 

“If we are not Thomas Hutter’s children, Judith, no one 
will dispute our right to his property. We have the castle, and 
the ark, and the canoes, and the woods, and the lakes, the same 
as when he was living ; and what can prevent us from staying 
here, and passing our lives just as w^e ever have done 1 ” 

“ No, no, poor sister. This can no longer be. Two girls 
would not be safe here, even should these Hurons fail in getting 
us into their power. Even father had as much as he could 
sometimes do, to keep peace upon the lake ; and we should fail 
altogether. We must quit this spot, Hetty, and remove into 
the settlements.” 

“ I am sorry you think so, Judith,” returned Hetty, dropping 
her head on her bosom, and looking thoughtfully down at the 
spot where the funeral pile of her mother could just be seen. 


410 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ I am ver^ sorry to hear it. I would rather stay here, where, 
if I was n’t born, I ’ve passed my life. I don’t like the settle- 
ments ; they are full of wickedness and heart-burnings, while 
God dwells unotfended in these hills ! I love the trees, and 
the mountains, and the lake, and the springs ; all that his 
bounty has given us, and it would grieve me sorely, J udith, to be 
forced to quit them. You are handsome, and not at all half- 
witted, and one day you will marry, and then you will have a 
husband, and I a brother to take care of us, if women can’t 
really take care of themselves in such a place as this.” 

“ Ah ! if this could be so, Hetty, then, indeed, I could now 
be a thousand times happier in these woods than in the settle- 
ments ! Once I did not feel thus, but noiv I do. Yet where 
is the man to turn this beautiful place into such a garden of 
Eden for us ? ” 

“ Harry March loves you, sister,” returned poor Hetty, un- 
consciously picking the bark otf the canoe as she spoke. “ He 
would be glad to be your husband, I ’m sure ; and a stouter 
and a braver youth is not to be met with the whole country 
round.” 

“ Harry March and I understand each other, and no more 
need be said about him. There is one — but no matter. It 
is all in the hands of Providence, and we must shortly come to 
some conclusion about our future manner of living. Remain 
here — that is, remain here alone, w’e cannot — and perhaps no 
occasion will ever offer for remaining in the manner you think 
of. It is time, too, Hetty, we should learn all we can concern- 
ing our relations and family. It is not probable we are alto- 
gether without relations, and they may be glad to see us. The 
old chest is now our property, and we have a right to look into 
it, and learn all we can by what it holds. Motlier was so very 
different from Thomas Hutter, that, now I know we are not 
his children, I burn with a desire to know whose children we 
can be. There are papers in that chest, I am certain, and 


THE DEE RSL AYER 411 

those papers may tell us all about our parents and natural 
friends.” 

“Well^ Judith, you know best, for you are cleverer than 
common, mother always said, and I am only half-witted. Now 
father and mother are dead, I don’t much care for any relations 
but you, and don’t think I could love them I never saw, as well 
as I ought. If you don’t like to marry Hurry, I don’t see who 
you can choose for a husband, and then I fear we shall have to 
quit the lake, after all.” 

“ What do you think of Deerslayer, Hetty ? ” asked Judith, 
bending forward like her unsophisticated sister, and endeavor- 
ing to conceal her embarrassment in a similar manner. “Would 
he not make a brother-in-law to your liking ? ” 

“ Deerslayer ! ” repeated the other, looking up in unfeigned 
surprise ; “ why, Judith, Deerslayer is n’t in the least comely, 
and is altogether unfit for one like you ! ” 

“ He is not ill-looking, Hetty ; and beauty in a man is not 
of much matter.” 

“Do you think so, Judith ? I know that beauty is of no 
great matter, in a man or woman, in the eyes of God ; for 
mother has often told me so, when she thought I might have 
been sorry I was not as handsome as you — though she need n’t 
have been uneasy on that account, for I never coveted anything 
that is yours, sister ; but tell me so she did ; still, beauty is very 
pleasant to the eye, in both. I think, if I were a man, I should 
pine more for good looks than I do as a girl. A handsome 
man is a more pleasing sight than a handsome woman.” 

“ Poor child ! you scarce know what you say or what you 
mean ! Beauty in our sex is something, but in man, it passes 
for little. To be sure, a man ought to be tall, but others are 
tall as well as Hurry ; and active — I think I know those that 
are more active ; and strong — well, he has n’t all the strength 
in the world ; and brave — I’m certain I can name a youth 
who is braver,” 


412 


THE DEERSLAYER 


1 

' 


“ This is strange, Judith. I did n’t think the earth held aj 
handsomer, or a stronger, or a more active, or a braver man 
than Hurry Harry. I am sure I never met his equal in either 
of these things.” 

“Well, well, Hetty, say no more of this. I dislike to hear 
you talking in this manner. ’T is not suitable to your inno- 
cence, and truth, and -warm-hearted sincerity. Let Harry 
March go. He quits us to-night, and no regret of mine will, 
follow him, unless it be that he has stayed so long and to so 
little purpose.” ♦ 

“ Ah ! Judith, that is what I ’ve long feared ; and I did so 
hope he might be my brother-in-law ! ” 

“ Never mind it now ; let us talk of our poor mother and ' 
of Thomas Hutter.” 

“ Speak kindly, then, sister, for you can’t be quite certain 
that spirits don’t both hear and see. If father was n’t father, 
he was good to us, and gave us food and shelter. We can’t ; 
put any stones over their graves here in the water to tell peo- 
ple all this, and so we ought to say it with our tongues.” 

“ They will care little for that, girl. ’T is a great consolation ' 
to know, Hetty, that if mother ever did commit any heavy 
fault when young, she lived sincerely to repent of it ; no doubt 
her sins were forgiven her.” 

“’T is n’t right, Judith, for children to talk of their parents’ 
sins. We had better talk of our own.” 

“ Talk of your sins, Hetty ! If there ever was a creature ' 
on earth without sin, it is you ! I wish I could say or think 
the same of myself ; but we shall see. No one knows what 
changes affection for a good husband can make in a woman’s 
heart. I don’t think, child, I have even now the same love 
of finery I once had.” 

“ It would be a pity, Judith, if you did think of clothes, 
over your parents’ graves ! We will never quit this spot, if 
you say so, and will let Hurry go where he pleases.” ' 


THE DEERSLAYER 


413 


“ I am willing enough to consent to the last, but cannot 
answer for the first, Hetty. We must live, in future, as be- 
comes respectable young women, and cannot remain here to 
be the talk and jest of all the rude and foul-tongued trappers 
and hunters that may come upon the lake. Let Hurry go by 
himself, and then I ’ll find the means to see Deerslayer, when 
the future shall be soon settled. Come, girl, the sun has set, 
and the ark is drifting away from us ; let us paddle up to the 
scow, and consult with our friend. This night I shall look 
into the chest, and to-morrow shall determine what we are to 
do. As for the Hurons, now we can use our stores without 
fear of Thomas Hutter, they will be easily bought off. Let 
me get Deerslayer once out of their hands, and a single hour 
shall bring things to an understanding.” 

Judith spoke with decision, and she spoke with authority, 
a habit she had long practised towards her feeble-minded sister. 
But, while thus accustomed to have her way, by the aid of 
manner and a readier command of words, Hetty occasionally 
checked her impetuous feelings and hasty acts by the aid of 
those simple moral truths that were so deeply engrafted in all 
her own thoughts and feelings ; shining through both with a 
mild and beautiful lustre that threw a sort of holy halo around 
so much of what she both said and did. On the present occa- 
sion, this healthful ascendency of the girl of weak intellect 
over her of a capacity that, in other situations, might have 
become brilliant and admired, was exhibited in the usual sim- 
ple and earnest manner. 

“You forget, Judith, what has brought us here,” she said, 
reproachfully. “ This is mother’s grave, and we have just laid 
the body of father by her side. We have done wrong to talk 
so much of ourselves at such a spot, and ought now to pray 
God to forgive us, and ask him to teach us where we are to 
go, and what we are to do.” 

Judith involuntarily laid aside her paddle, while Hetty 


414 


THE DEERSLAYER 


dropped on her knees, and was soon lost in her devout but 
simple petitions. Her sister did not pray. This she had long 
ceased to do directly, though anguish of spirit frequently wrung 
from her mental and hasty appeals to the great Source of 
benevolence, for support, if not for a change of spirit. Still, 
she never beheld Hetty on her knees, that a feeling of tender 
recollection, as well as of profound regret at the deadness of 
her own heart, did not come over her. Thus had she herself 
done in childhood, and even down to the hour of her ill-fated 
visits to the garrisons ; and she would willingly have given 
worlds, at such moments, to be able to exchange her present 
sensations for that confiding faith, those pure aspirations, and 
the gentle hope that shone through every lineament and move- 
ment of her otherwise less-favored sister. All she could do, 
however, was to drop her head to her bosom, and assume in 
her attitude some of that devotion in which her stubbom spirit 
refused to unite. 

When Hetty rose from her knees, her countenance had a 
glow and serenity that rendered a face that was always agree- 
able, positively handsome. Her mind was at peace and her 
conscience acquitted her of a neglect of duty. 

“ Now you may go, if you want to, Judith,” she said ; “God 
has been kind to me, and lifted a burden off my heart. Mother 
liad many such burdens, she used to tell me, and she always 
took them off in this way. ’Tis the only Avay, sister, such 
things can be done. You may raise a stone, or a log, with 
your hands ; but the heart must be lightened by prayer. I 
don’t think you pray as often as you used to do when younger, 
Judith ! ” 

“Never mind — never mind, child,” — answered the other, 
huskily ; “ ’t is no matter now. Mother is gone, and Thomas 
Hutter is gone, and the time has come when we must think 
and act for ourselves.” 

As the canoe moved slowly away from the place, under tlie 


THE DEERSLAYER 


415 


1 gentle impulsion of the elder sister’s paddle, the younger sat 
musing, as was her wont, whenever her mind was perplexed 
by any idea more abstract and difficult of comprehension than 
. common. 

“ I don’t know what you mean by future, Judith,” she at 
length suddenly observed. “ Mother used to call heaven 
the future, but you seem to think it means next week, or 
to-morrow ! ” 

“ It means both, dear sister; everything that is yet to come, 
whether in this world or another. It is a solemn word, Hetty, 
and most so, I fear, to them that think the least about it. 
Mother’s future is eternity ; ours may yet mean what will 
happen while we live in this world — is not that a canoe just 
passing behind the castle ? — here, more in the direction of the 
point, I mean ; it is hid, now ; but, certainly, I saw a canoe 
stealing behind the logs.” 

“ I ’ve seen it some time,” Hetty quietly answered, for the 
( Indians had few terrors for her, “ but I did not think it right 
I to talk about such things over mother’s grave. The canoe 
fcame from the camp, Judith, and was paddled by a single 

I man ; he seemed to be Deerslayer, and no Iroquois.” 

‘ “ Deerslayer ! ” returned the other, with much of her native 

impetuosity. “ That can’t be ! Deerslayer is a prisoner, and 

I I have been thinking of the means of setting him free. Why 
I did you fancy it Deerslayer, child ? ” 

! “You can look for yourself, sister; there comes the canoe in 
sight again, on this side of the hut.” 

Sure enough, the light boat had passed the building, and 
was now steadily advancing towards the ark ; the persons on 
board of which were already collecting in the head of the scow 
to receive their visitor. A single glance sufficed to assure 
Judith that her sister was right, and that Deerslayer was alone 
in the canoe. His approach w'as so calm and leisurely, how- 
ever, as to fill her with wonder, since a man who had effected 


416 


THE DEERSLAYER 


his escape from enemies, by either artifice or violence, would 
not be apt to move with the steadiness and deliberation with 
which his paddle swept the water. By this time the day was 
fairly departing, and objects were already seen dimly under the 
shores. In the broad lake, however, the light still lingered, 
and around the immediate scene of the present incidents, which 
was less shaded than most of the sheet, being in its broadest 
part, it cast a glare that bore some faint resemblance to the 
warm tints of an Italian or Grecian sunset. The logs of the 
hut and ark had a sort of a purple hue, blended with the grow- 
ing obscurity, and the bark of the hunter’s boat was losing its 
distinctness, in colors richer, but more mellowed, than those it 
showed under a bright sun. As the two canoes approached 
each other — for Judith and her sister had plied their paddles 
so as to intercept the unexpected visitor ere he reached the ark 
— even Deerslay'er’s sunburnt countenance wore a brighter 
aspect than common, under the pleasing tints that seemed to 
dance in the atmosphere. Judith fancied that delight at 
meeting her had some share in this unusual and agreeable 
expression. She was not aware that her own beauty appeared 
to more advantage than common, from the same natural cause ; 
nor did she understand, what it would have given her much 
pleasure to know, that the young man actually thought her, as 
she drew near, the loveliest creature of her sex his eyes had 
ever dwelt on. 

“Welcome — welcome, Deerslayer!” exclaimed the girl, as 
the canoes floated at each other’s sides ; “we have had a mel- 
ancholy — a frightful day ; but your return is, at least, one 
misfortune the less. Have the Hurons become more humane 
and let you go, or have you escaped from the wretches by your 
own courage and skill ? ” 

“ Neither, Judith, neither one nor t’other. The Mingos are 
Mingos still, and will live and die Mingos ; it is not likely 
their natur’s will ever undergo much improvement. Well, 


THE DEERSLAYER 


417 


they’ve their gifts, and weVe oiirn, Judith, and it doesn’t 
much become either to speak ill of what the Lord has created ; 
though, if the truth must be said, I find it a sore trial to think 
kindly or to talk kindly of them vagabonds. As for outwitting 
them, that might have been done, and it was done, too, atween 
the Sarpent, yonder, and me, when we were on the trail of 
Hist,” — here the hunter stopped to laugh in his own silent 
fashion, — “ but it ’s no easy matter to sarcumvent the sarcum- 
vented. Even the fa’ans get to know the tricks of the hunters 
afore a single season is over ; and an Indian, whose eyes have 
I once been’ opened by a sarcumvention, never shuts them ag’in 
in precisely the same spot. I Ve known whites to do that, but 
never a redskin. What they I’arn comes by practice, and 
[ not by books ; and of all schoolmasters, exper’ence gives lessons 
that are the longest remembered.” 

“ All this is true, Deerslayer ; but if you have not escaped 
I from the savages, how came you here ? ” 

\ “That’s a nat’ral question, and charmingly put. You are 
! wonderful handsome this evening, Judith, or Wild Rose, as the 
! Sarpent calls you, and I may as well say it, since I honestly 
1 think it. You may well call them Mingos savages, too, for 
i savage enough do they feel, and savage enough will they act, 

' if you once give them an opportunity. They feel their loss 
j here, in the late skrimmage, to their hearts’ cores, and are ready 
! to revenge it on any creatur’ of English blood that may fall in 
i their way. Nor, for that matter, do I much think they would 
I stand at taking their satisfaction out of a Dutchman.” 

I “ They have killed father ; that ought to satisfy their wicked 
I cravings for blood,” observed Hetty, reproachfully. 

“ I know* it, gal — I know the whole story ; partly from 
what I Ve seen from the shore, since they brought me up from 
the point, and partly from their threats ag’in myself, and their 
other discourse. Well, life is unsartainat the best, and we all 
depend on the breath of our nostrils for it, from day to day. 

2e 


418 


THE DEERSLAYER 


If you Ve lost a staunch fri’iid, as I make no doubt you have, 
Providence will raise up new ones in his stead ; and since our , 
acquaintance has begun in this oncommon manner, I shall take 
it as a hint that it will be part of my duty in futur’, should 
the occasion offer, to see you don’t suffer for want of food 
in the wigwam. I can’t bring the dead to life, but as to feeding 
the living, there’s few on all this frontier can outdo me, though 
I say it in the way of pity and consolation like, and, in no par- 
ticular, in the way of boasting ! ” 

“We understand you, Deerslayer, ” returned Judith, hastily, 
“and take all that falls from your lips, as it is meant, in - 
kindness and friendship. Would to heaven all men had tongues * 
as true, and hearts as honest ! ” ^ 

“ In that respect men do differ, of a sartainty, Judith. I ’ve i 
known them that was n’t to be trusted any farther than you u 
can see them ; and others ag’in whose messages, sent with a -j 
small piece of wampum, perhaps, might just as much be de- ' 
pended on, as if the whole business was finished afore your _ 
face. Yes, Judith, you never said truer words, than when 
you said some men might be depended on, and some others 
might not. ” 

“ You are an unaccountable being, Deerslayer,” returned the 
girl, not a little puzzled with the childish simplicity of character 
that the hunter so often betrayed — a simplicity so striking, 
that it frequently appeared to place him nearly on a level with j 
the fatuity of poor Hetty, though always relieved by the beau- : 
tiful moral truth that shone through all that this unfortunate " 
girl both said and did. “ You are a most unaccountable man, 
and I often do not know how to understand you. But never 
mind, just now ; you have forgotten to tell us by what means 
you are here.” ^ 

“ I ! — 0 ! That ’s not very onaccountable, if I am myself, • 
Judith. I ’m out on a furlough.” ' 

“ Furlough ! That word has a meaning among the soldiers • 


THE DEERSLAYER 419 

' that I understand ; I cannot tell what it signifies when used 
, by a prisoner.” 

It means just the same. You ’re right enough ; the soldiers 
: do use it, and just in the same way as I use it. A furlough is 
i when a man has leave to quit a camp, or a garrison, for a sar- 
tain specified time ; at the end of which he is to come back and 
shoulder his musket, or submit to his torments, just as he may 
happen to be a soldier, or a captyve. Being the last, I must 
take the chances of a prisoner.” 

“ Have the Hurons suffered you to quit them in this manner, 
i without watch or guard ? ” 

“ Sartain — I couldn’t have come in any other manner, 
'' unless, indeed, it had been by a bold rising, or a sarcum- 
vention.” 

“ What pledge have they that you will ever return 1 ” 

“ My word, ” answered the hunter, simply. “Yes, I own I 
i' gave ’em that, and big fools would they have been to let me 
come without it ! Why, in that case, I should n’t have been 
i| obliged to go back and ondergo any deviltries their fury may 
invent, but might have shouldered my riffe, and made the best 
I of my way to the Delaware villages. But, Lord ! Judith, they 
f know’d this, just as well as you and I do, and would no more 
I let me come away, without a promise to go back, than they 
1 would let the wolves dig up the bones of their fathers ! ” 

( “Is it possible you mean to do this act of extraordinary 
! self-destruction aiid recklessness ? ” 

I “ Anan ! ” 

I “ I ask if it can be possible that you expect to be able to put 
! yourself again in the power of such ruthless enemies, by keeping 
I your word ? ” 

! Deerslayer looked at his fair questioner for a moment with stern 
^ displeasure. Then the expression of his honest and guileless 
face suddenly changed, lighting as by a quick illumination of 
thought ; after which he laughed in his ordinary manner. 


420 


THE DEEKSLAYER 


“ I did n’t understand you at first, Judith ; no, I did n’t. 
You believe that Chingachgook and Hurry Harry won’t suffer 
it ; but you don’t know mankind thoroughly yet, I see. The 
Delaware would be the last man on ’arth to offer any objections 
to what he knows is a duty ; and, as for March, he does n’t care 
enough about any creatur’ but himself to spend many words on 
such a subject. If he did ’t would make no great difference, 
howsever ; but not he — for he thinks more of his gains than 
of even his own word. As for my promises, or yourn, Judith, 
or anybody else’s, they give him no consarn. Don’t be under 
any oneasiness, therefore, gal ; I shall be allowed to go back ac- 
cording to the furlough ; and if difficulties Avas made, I ’ve not 
been brought up, and edicated as one may say, in the woods, 
without knowing how to look ’em down.” 

Judith made no answer for some little time. All her feelings 
as a Avonian — and as a woman who, for the first time in her 
life, was beginning to submit to that sentiment which has so 
much influence on tlie happiness or misery of her sex — re- 
volted at the cruel fate that she fancied Deerslayer was draw- 
ing down upon himself, while the sense \)f right which God 
has implanted in eAwy human breast, told her to admire an ; 
integrity as indomitable and unpretending as that which the 
other so unconsciously displayed. Argument, she felt, would 
be useless ; nor was she, at that moment, disposed to lessen the 
dignity and high principle that were so striking in the inten- 
tions of the hunter, by any attempt to turn him from his 
purpose. That something might yet occur to supersede the ne- 
cessity for this self-immolation, she tried to hope ; and then she ■ 
proceeded to ascertain the facts, in order that her own conduct 
might be regulated by her knowledge of circumstances. 

“ When is your furlough o\it, Deerslayer ? ” she asked, after 
both canoes were heading toAvards the ark, and moving, with 
scarcely a perceptible effort of the paddles, through the water. , 

“ To-morrow noon ; not a minute afore ; and you may depend i 


THE DEERSLAYER 


421 


on it, Judith, I shan’t quit what I call Christian company, to 
go and give myself up to them vagabonds, an instant sooner 
than is downright necessary. They begin to fear a visit from 
the garrisons, and would n’t lengthen the time a moment ; and 
it ’s pretty well understood atween us, that, should I fail in 
my arr’nd, the torments are to take place when the sun begins 
to fall, that they may strike upon their home trail as soon as 
it is dark.” 

This was said solemnly, as if the thought of what was 
believed to be in reserve duly weighed on the prisoner’s mind, 
and yet so simply, and without a parade of suffering, as rather 
to repel than to invite any open manifestations of sympathy. 

“ Are they bent on revenging their losses ? ” Judith asked, 
faintly, her own high spirit yielding to the influence of the 
other’s quiet but dignified integrity of purpose. 

“ Downright, if I can judge of Indian inclinations by the 
symptoms. They think, howsever, I don’t suspect their 
. designs, I do believe ; but one that has lived so long among 
men of redskin gifts is no more likely to be misled in Injin 
feelin’s than a true hunter is like to lose his trail, or a staunch 
hound his scent. My own judgment is greatly ag’in my own 
escape, for I see the women are a good deal enraged on behalf 
I of Hist, though I say it, perhaps, that should n’t say it — seein’ 

I that I had a considerable hand myself in getting the gal off. 
i Then there was a cruel murder in their camp last night, and 
i that shot might just as well have been fired into my breast. 

I Howsever, come what will, the Sarpent and his wife will be 
safe, and that is some happiness, in any case.” 

“ 0 ! Deerslayer, they will think better of this, since they 
have given you until to-morrow noon to make up your mind ! ” 

“I judge not, Judith; yes, I judge not. An Injin is an 
Injin, gal, and it ’s pretty much hopeless to think of swarviiig 
him, when he ’s got the scent and follows it with his nose in 
the air. The Delawares, now, are a half-Christianized tribe — 


422 


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not that I think such sort of Christians much better than your 
whole-blooded disbelievers — but, nevertheless, what good half- 
Christianizing can do to a man some among ’em have got, and 
yet revenge clings to their hearts like the wild creepers here to 
the tree ! Then I slew one- of the best and boldest of their 
warriors, they say, and it is too much to expect that they should 
captivate the man who did this deed, in the very same scouting 
on which it was performed, and they take no account of 'the 
matter. Had a month or so gone by, their feelin’s would have 
been softened down, and we might have met in a more friendly 
way ; but it is as it is. Judith, this is talking of nothing but | 
myself and my own consarns, when you have had trouble I 
enough, and may want to consult a fri’nd a little about your j 
own matters. Is the old man laid in the water, where I I 
should think his body would like to rest ? ” 

“It is, Deerslayer,” answered Judith, almost inaudibly. 
“That duty has just been performed. You are right in think- 
ing that I wish to consult a friend ; and that friend is yourself. 
Harry Harry is about to leave us ; when he is gone, and we 
have got a little over the feelings of this solemn office, I hope 
you will give me an hour alone. Hetty and I are at a loss what 
to do.” 

“ That ’s quite natural, coming as things have, suddenly and 
fearfully. Bat here ’s the ark, and we ’ll say more of this when 
there is a better opportunity.” 


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423 


CHAPTER XXIII 

“ The winde is great upon the highest hilles ; 

The quiet life is in the dale below ; 

Who tread on ice shall slide against their willes ; 

They want not cares, that curious arts should know ; 

Who lives at ease and can content him so, 

Is perfect wise, and sets us all to schoole : 

Who hates this lore may well be called a foole.” 

Churchyard. 

The meeting between Deerslayer and his friends in the ark 
was grave and anxious. The two Indians, in particular, read 
in his manner that he was not a successful fugitive, and a few 
sententious words sufficed to let them comprehend the nature 
of what their friend had termed his “furlough.” Chingachgook 
immediately became thoughtful ; while Hist, as usual, had no 
better mode of expressing her sympathy than by those little 
attentions which mark the affectionate manner of woman. 

In a few minutes, however, something like a general plan for 
the proceedings of the night was adopted, and, to the eye of an 
uninstructed observer, things would be thought to move in their 
ordinary train. It was now getting to be dark, and it was 
decided to sweep the ark up to the castle, and secure it in its 
ordinary berth. The decision was come to, in some measure, 
on account of the fact that all the canoes were again in the pos- 
session of their proper owners, but principally from the security 
that was created by the representations of Deerslayer. He had 
examined the state of things among the Hurons, and felt satis- 
fied that they meditated no further hostilities during the night, 
the loss they had met having indisposed them to further exer- 
tions for the moment. Then he had a proposition to make, — 
the object of his visit ; and, if this were accepted, the war would 
at once terminate between the parties ; and it was improbable 
that the Hurons would anticipate the failure of a project on 


424 


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which their chiefs had apparently set their hearts by having 
recourse to violence previously to the return of their messenger. 

As soon as the ark was properly secured, the different mem- 
bers of the party occupied themselves in their several peculiar 
manners ; haste in council, or in decision, no more characteriz- 
ing the proceedings of the border whites, than it did those of 
their red neighbors. The women busied themselves in prepara- 
tions for the evening meal, sad and silent, but ever attentive to 
the first wants of nature. 

Hurry set about repairing his moccasins, by the light of a 
blazing knot ; Chingachgook seated himself in gloomy thought ; 
while Deerslayer proceeded, in a manner equally free from affec- 
tation and concern, to examine “ Killdeer,” the rifle of Hutter, 
that has been already mentioned, and which subsequently be- 
came so celebrated in the hands of the individual who was now 
making a survey of its merits. The piece was a little longer 
than usual, and had evidently been turned out from the work- 
shop of some manufacturer of a superior order. It had a few 
silver ornaments ; though, on the whole, it would have been 
deemed a plain piece by most frontier men ; its great merit 
consisting in the accuracy of its bore, the perfection of the 
details, and the excellence of the metal. Again and again did 
the hunter apply the breech to his shoulder, and glance his eye 
along the sights, and as often did he poise his body, and raise 
the weapon slowly, as if about to catch an aim at a deer, in 
order to try the weight, and to ascertain its fitness for quick 
and accurate firing. All this was done by the aid of Hurry’s 
torch, simply, but with an earnestness and abstraction that 
Avould have been found touching by any spectator who happened 
to know the real situation of the man. 

“ ’T is a glorious we’pon. Hurry ! ” Deerslayer at length 
exclaimed, “ and it may be thought a pity that it has fallen 
into the hands of women. The hunters have told me of its 
expl’ites, and by all I have heard, I should set it down as sar- 


THE DEERSLAYER 


425 


tain death in exper’enced hands. Hearken to the tick of this 
lock — a wolf-trap hasn’t a livelier spring; pan and cock 
speak together, like two singing-masters undertaking a psalm 
in meetin’. I never did see so true a bore, Hurry, that ’s sar- 
tain.” 

“ Ay, old Tom used to give the piece a character, though he 
was n’t the man to particularize the ra’al natur’ of any sort of 
fire-arms, in practice,” returned March, passing the deer’s thongs 
through the moccasin with the coolness of a cobbler. “ He was 
no marksman, that we must all allow ; but he had his good 
p’ints as well as his bad ones. I have had hopes that Judith 
might consait the idee of giving Killdeer to me.” 

“ There ’s no saying what young women may do, that ’s a 
truth. Hurry ; and I suppose you ’re as likely to own the rifle 
as another. Still, when things are so very near perfection, it ’s 
a pity not to reach it entirely.” 

“What do you mean by that? Would not that piece look 
as well on my shoulder as on any man’s ? ” 

“ As for looks, I say nothing. You are both good-looking, 
and might make what is called a good-looking couple. But the 
true p’int is as to conduct. More deer would fall in one ■ day, 
by that piece, in some men’s hands, than would fall in a week 
in your’n. Hurry ! I ’ve seen you tiy ; you remember the buck, 
t’ other day ? ” 

“ That buck was out of season ; and who wishes to kill veni- 
son out of season ? I was merely trying to frighten the creatur’, 
and I think you will own that he was pretty well sheared at 
any rate.” 

“ Well, well, have it as you say. But this is a lordly piece, 
and would make a steady hand and quick eye the King of the 
Woods.” 

“ Then keep it, Deefslayer, and become King of the Woods,” 
said Judith, earnestly, who had heard the conversation, and 
whose eye was never long averted from the honest countenance 


426 


THE DEERSLAYER 


of the hunter. “ It can never be in better hands than it is at 
this moment ; there I hope it will remain these fifty years.” . 

“Judith, you can’t be in ’arnest ! ” exclaimed Deerslayer, I 
taken so much by surprise as to betray more emotion that it ‘ 
was usual for him to manifest on ordinary occasions. “ Such a 
gift would be fit for a ra’al king to make ; yes, and for a ra’al 
king to receive.” 

“ I never was more in earnest in my life, Deerslayer, and I , 
am as much in earnest in the wish as in the gift.” j 

“Well, gal, well; we’ll find time to talk of this ag’in. You 
must n’t be downhearted. Hurry, for Judith is a sprightly young •• 
woman, and she has a quick reason ; she knows that the credit 
of her father’s rifle is safer in my hands than it can possibly be 
in your’n ; and, therefore, you mustn’t be downhearted. In 
other matters, more to your liking, too, you ’ll find she ’ll give s' 
you the preference.” j 

Hurry growled out his dissatisfaction ; but he was too intent \ 
on quitting the lake, and in making his preparations, to waste i 
his breath on a subject of this nature. Shortly after, the 
supper was ready ; it was eaten in silence, as is so much the .] 
habit of those who consider the table as merely a place of animal i 
refreshment. On this occasion, however, sadness and thought 
contributed their share to the general desire not to converse ; •;i 
for Deerslayer was so far an exception to the usages of men of , 
his cast, as not only to wish to hold discourse on such occasions, \ 
but as often to create a similar desire in his companions. {| 

The meal ended, and the humble preparations removed, the \ 
whole party assembled on the platform to hear the expected 
intelligence from Deerslayer on the subject of his visit. It had 
been evident he was in no haste to make his communications ; 
but the feelings of Judith would no longer admit of delay. 
Stools were brought from the ark and the hut, and the whole 
six placed themselves in a circle near the door, watching each 
other’s countenances, as best they could, by the scanty means 


THE DEERSLAYER 


427 


that were furnished by a lovely starlight night. Along the 
shore, beneath the mountains, lay the usual body of gloom ; 
but in the broad lake no shadow was cast, and a thousand 
mimic stars were dancing in the limpid element, that w^as just 
stirred enough by the evening air to set them all in motion. 

“Now, Deerslayer,” commenced Judith, whose impatience 
resisted further restraint ; “ noAV, Deerslayer, tell us all the 
Hurons have to say, and the reason why they have sent you on 
parole, to make us some offer.” 

“ Furlough, Judith ; furlough is the word ; and it canies the 
same meaning with a captyve at large as it does with a soldier 
who has leave to quit his colors. In both cases the word is 
passed to come back : and now I remember to have heard that ’s 
the ra’al signification, ‘furlough,’ meaning a ‘word’ passed for 
the doing of anything, or the like. Parole, I rather think, is 
Dutch, and has something to do with the tattoos of the garrisons. 
But this makes no great difference, since the vartue of a pledge 
lies in the idee, and not in the word. Well, then, if the mes- 
sage must be given, it must ; and perhaps there is no use in 
putting it off. Hurry wdll soon be wanting to set out on his 
journey to the river, and the stars rise and set, just as if they 
cared for neither Injin nor message. Ah ’s me ! ’ t is n’ t a 
pleasant, and I know it ’s a useless arr’nd ; but it must be told.” 

“Harkee, Deerslayer,” put in Hurry, a little authoritatively ; 
“ you ’re a sensible man in a hunt, and as good a fellow on a 
march as a sixty-miler-a-day could wish to meet with ; but you ’re 
oncommon slow about messages, especially them that you think 
won’t be likely to be well received. When a thing is to be told, 
why, tell it, and don’t hang back like a Yankee lawyer pretend- 
ing he can’t understand a Dutchman’s English, just to get a 
double fee out of him.” 

“ I understand you. Hurry, and well are you named to-night, 
seeing you ’ve no time to lose. But let us come at once to the 
p’int, seeing that ’s the object of this council ; for council it 


428 


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may be called, though women have seats among us. The simple 
fact is this. When the party came back from the castle, the 
Mingos held a council, and bitter thoughts were uppermost, as 
was plainly to be seen by their gloomy faces. No one likes to 
be beaten, and a redskin as little as a pale-face. Well, when 
they had smoked upon it, and made their speeches, and their 
council-fire had burnt low, the matter came out. It seems the 
elders among ’em consaited I was a man to be trusted on a fur- 
lough. They ’re wonderful obsarvant, them Mingos ; that their 
worst inimies must allow ; but they consaited I was such a 
man ; and it is n’t often ” — added the hunter, with a pleasing 
consciousness that his previous life justified this implicit reliance 
on his good faith — “it isn’t often they consait anything so 
good of a pale-face ; but so they did with me, and therefore 
they did n’t hesitate to speak their minds, which is just this : 
You see the state of things. The lake and all on it, they fancy, 
lie at their marcy. Thomas Hutter is deceased, and as for 
Hurry, tliey ’ve got the idee he has been near enough to death 
to-day not to wish to take another look at him this summer. 
Therefore, they account all your forces as reduced to Chingach- 
gook and the two young women, and, while they know the 
Delaware to be of a high race, and a born warrior, they know 
he ’s now on his first war-path. As for the gals, of course they set 
them down much as they do women in gin’ral.” 

“You mean that they despise us ! ” interrupted Judith, with 
eyes that flashed so brightly as to be observed by all present. 

“ That will be seen in the ind. They hold that all on the 
lake lies at their marcy, and, therefore, they send by me this 
belt of wampum,” showing the article in question to the Dela- 
ware, as he spoke, “ with these words : Tell the Sarpent, they 
say, that he has done well for a beginner ; he may now strike 
across the mountains, for his own villages, and no one shall 
look for his trail. If he has found a scalp, let him take it 
with him ; the Huron braves have hearts, and can feel for a 


THE DEERSLAYER 


m 


young warrior who doesn’t wish to go home empty-handed. 
If he is nimble, he is welcome to lead out a party in pursuit. 
Hist, howsever, must go back to the Hurons; when she left 
them in the night, she carried away, by mistake, that which 
doesn’t belong to her.” 

“ That canH be true ! ” said Hetty, earnestly. “ Hist is no 
such girl ; but one that gives everybody his due — ” 

How much more she would have said, in remonstrance, can- 
not be known, inasmuch as Hist, partly laughing, and partly 
hiding her face in shame, put her own hand across the speaker’s 
mouth, in a way to check the w’ords. 

“You don’t understand Mingo messages, poor Hetty,” 
resumed Deerslayer, “ which seldom mean what lies exactly 
uppermost. Hist has brought away with her the inclinations 
of a young Huron, and they want her back again, that the 
poor young man may find them where he last saw them ! The 
Sarpent, they say, is too promising a young warrior not to 
find as many wives as he wants, but this one he cannot have. 
That ’s their meaning, and nothing else, as I understand it.” 

“ They were very obliging and thoughtful, in supposing a 
young woman can forget all her own inclinations in order to 
let this unhappy youth find his ! ” said Judith, ironically, 
though her manner became more bitter as she proceeded. 
“ I suppose a woman is a woman, let her color be white or 
red : and your chiefs know little of a woman’s heart, Deer- 
slayer, if they think it can ever forgive when wronged, or ever 
forget when it fairly loves.” 

“ I suppose that ’s pretty much the truth, with some women, 
Judith, though I ’ve known them that could do both. The 
next message is to you. They say the Muskrat, as they call 
your father, has dove to the bottom of the lake ; that he will 
never come up again, and that his young will soon be in want 
of wigwams, if not of food. The Huron huts, they think, are 
better than the huts of York ; they wish you to come and try 


430 


THE DEERSLAYER 


them. Your color is white, they own, but they think young 
women who ’ve lived so long in the woods, would lose their 
way in the clearin’s. A great warrior among them has lately 
lost his wife, and he would be glad to put the Wild Rose on 
her bench at his fireside. As for the Feeble-Mind, she will 
always be honored and taken care of by red warriors. Your 
father’s goods, they think, ought to go to enrich the tribe ; 
but your own property, which is to include everything of a 
female natur’, will go, like that of all wives, into the wigwam 
of the husband. Moreover, they’ve lost a young maiden by 
violence, lately, and ’t will take two pale-faces to fill her 
seat.” 

“And do you bring such a message to mef” exclaimed 
Judith, though the tone in which the words were uttered had 
more in it of sorrow than of anger. “ Am I a girl to be an 
Indian’s slave h ” 

“ If you wish my honest thoughts on this p’int, Judith, I 
shall answer tliat I don’t tliink you’ll wdllingly ever become 
any man’s slave, redskin or white. You ’re not to think hard, 
howsever, of my bringing the message, as near as I could, in 
the very words in which it was given to me. Them was the 
conditions on which I got my furlough, and a bargain is a bar- 
gain, though it is made with a vagabond. I ’ve told you what 
they ’ve said, but I ’ve not yet told you what I think you ought, 
one and all, to answer.” 

“ Ay ; let ’s hear that, Deerslayer,” put in Hurry. “ My 
cur’osity is up on that consideration, and I should like right 
well to hear your idees of the reasonableness of the reply. For 
my part, though, my own mind is pretty much settled on the 
p’int of my own answer, which shall be made known as soon 
as necessary.” 

“ And so is mine. Hurry, on all the different heads, and on 
no one is it more sartainly settled than on your’n. If I was 
you, I should say — ‘ Deerslayer, tell them scamps they don’t 


THE DEERSLAYER 


431 


know Harry March ! He is human ; and having a white skin 
he has also a wdiite natur’, which natiir’ won’t let him desar^t 
females of his own race and gifts, in their greatest need. So 
set me down as one that will refuse to come into your treaty, 
though you should smoke a hogshead of tobacco over it.’ ” 

March was a little embarrassed at this rebuke, which was 
uttered with sufficient warmth of manner, and with a point 
that left no doubt of the meaning. Had Judith encouraged 
him, he would not have hesitated about remaining to defend 
her and her sister, but under the circumstances, a feeling of 
resentment rather urged him to abandon them. At all events, 
there was not a sufficiency of chivalry in Hurry Harry to 
induce him to hazard the safety of his own person, unless he 
could see a direct connection between the probable conse- 
quences and his own interests. It is no wonder, therefore, 
that his answer partook equally of his intention, and of the 
reliance he so boastingly placed on his gigantic strength, which, 
if it did not always make him courageous, usually made him 
impudent as respects those with whom he conversed. 

“ Fair words make long friendships. Master Deerslayer,” he 
said, a little menacingly. “You’re but a stripling, and you 
know, by exper’ence, what you are in the hands of a man. 
As you ’re not me, but only a go-between, sent by the savages 
to us Christians, you may tell your empl’yers that they dc 
know Harry March, which is a proof of their sense as well as 
his. He ’s human enough to follow human natur’, and that 
tells him to see the folly of one man’s fighting a whole tribe. 
If females desart him, they must expect to be desarted hy 
him, whether they ’re of his own gifts or another man’s gifts. 
Should Judith see fit to change her mind, she ’s welcome to my 
company to the river, and Hetty with her ; but should n’t she 
come to this conclusion, I start as soon as I think the enemy’s 
scouts are beginning to nestle themselves in among the brush 
and leaves for the night.” 


432 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Judith will not change her mind, and slie does not ask 
your company, Master March,” returned the girl, with spirit. 

“ That p’int ’s settled, then,” resumed Deerslayer, unmoved 
by the other s warmth. “ Hurry Hai ry must act for himself, 
and do that which will be most likely to suit his own fancy. 
The course he means to take will give him an easy race, if it 
don’t give him an easy conscience. Next comes the question 
with Hist — what say you, gal ? — will you desart your duty, 
too, and go back to the Mingos and take a Huron husband ; 
and all, not for the love of the man you ’re to marry, but for 
the love of your own scalp ? ” 

“Why you talk so to Hist?” demanded the girl, half of- 
fended. “ You t’ink a redskin girl made like captain’s lady, 
to laugh and joke with any officer that come.” 

“ What I think, Hist, is neither here nor there, in this mat- 
ter. I must carry back your answer, and in order to do so, 
it is necessary that you should send it. A faithful messenger 
gives his arr’nd word for word.” 

Hist no longer hesitated to speak her mind fully. In the ex- 
citement she rose from her bench, and naturally recurring to 
that language in which she expressed herself the most readily, 
she delivered her thoughts and intentions, beautifully and with 
dignity, in the tongue of her own people. 

“Tell the Hurons, Deerslayer,” she said, “that they are as 
ignorant as moles; they don’t know the wolf from the dog. 
Among my people, the rose dies on the stem where it budded ; 
the tears of the child fall on the graves of its parents ; the corn 
grows where the seed has been planted. The Delaware girls 
are not messengers, to be sent, like belts of wampum, from tribe 
to tribe. They are honeysuckles, that are sweetest in their own 
woods ; their own young men cany them away in their bosoms, 
because they are fragrant ; they are sweetest when plucked from 
their native stems. Even the robin and the martin come back, 
year after year, to their old nests ; shall a woman be less true- 


THE UEEKSLAYER 


433 


hearted than a bird ? Set the pine in the clay, and it will turn 
yellow ; the willow will not flourish on the hill ; the tamarack 
is healthiest in the swamp ; the tribes of the sea love best to 
hear the winds that blow over the salt water. As for a Huron 
youth, what is he to a maiden of the Lenni Lenape ? He may 
be fleet, but her eyes do not follow him in the race ; they look 
back towards the lodges of the Delawares. He may sing a sweet 
song for the girls of Canada, but there is no music for Wah, 
but in the tongue she has listened to from childhood. Wei'e 
the Huron born of the people that once roamed the shores of 
the salt lake, it would be in vain, unless he were of the family 
of Uncas. The young pine will rise to be as high as any of its 
fathers. Wah-ta-Wah has but one heart, and it can love but 
one husband.” 

Deerslayer listened to this characteristic message, which was 
given with an earnestness suited to the feelings from which it 
sprang, with undisguised delight ; meeting the ardent eloquence 
of the girl, as she concluded, with one of his own heart-felt, 
silent, and peculiar fits of laughter. 

“ That ’s worth all the wampum in the woods ! ” he exclaimed. 
“You don’t understand it, I suppose, Judith ; but if you ’ll look 
into your feelin’s, and fancy that an inimy had sent to tell you 
to give up the man of your ch’ice, and to take up with anotlier 
that was n’t the man of your ch’ice, you ’ll get the substance 
of it, I ’ll w'arrant ! Give me a woman for ra’al eloquence, if 
they ’ll only make up their minds to speak what they feel. By 
speakin’, I don’t mean, chatterin’, howsever ; for most of them 
will do that by the hour ; but cornin’ out with their honest, 
deepest feelin’s, in proper words. And now, J udith, having got 
the answer of a redskin girl, it is fit I should get that of a 
pale-face, if, indeed, a countenance that is as blooming as your’n 
can in any wise so be tarmed. You are well named the Wild 
Rose, and so far as color goes, Hetty ought to be called the 
Honeysuckle.” 

2r 


434 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Did this language come from one of the garrison gallants, 
I should deride it, Deerslayer ; but coming from you, I know 
it can be depended on,” returned Judith, deeply gratified by his 
unmeditated and characteristic compliments. “It is too soon, 
however, to ask my answer ; the Great Serpent has not yet 
spoken.” 

“The Sarpent? Lord ! I could carry back his speech with- 
out hearing a word of it ! I did n’t think of putting the ques- 
tion to him at all, I will allow ; though ’t would be hardly right 
either, seeing that truth is truth, and I ’m bound to tell these 
Mingos the fact, and nothing else. So, Chingachgook, let us 
hear your mind on this matter : are you inclined to strike across 
the hills towards your village, to give up Hist to a Huron, and 
to tell the chiefs at home, that if they ’re active and successful 
they may possibly get on the end of the Iroquois trail some two 
or three days a’ter the inimy has got off of it?” 

Like his betrothed, the young chief arose, that his answer 
might be given with due distinctness and dignity. Hist had 
spoken with her hands crossed upon her bosom, as if to suppress 
the emotions within ; but the warrior stretched an arm before 
him, with a calm energy that aided in giving emphasis to his 
expressions. 

“Wampum® should be sent for wampum,” he said ; “ a mes- 
sage must be answered by a message. Hear what the Great 
Serpent of the Delawares has to say to the pretended wolves 
from the great lakes, that are howling through our w^oods. They 
are no wolves ; they are dogs that have come to get their tails 
and ears cropped by the hands of the Delawares. They are good 
at stealing young women : bad at keeping them. Chingachgook 
takes his own where he finds it ; he asks leave of no cur from 
the Canadas. If he lias a tender feeling in his heart, it is no 
business of the Hurons. He tells it to her who most likes to 
know it ; he will not bellow it in the forest for the ears of those 
that only understand yells of terror. What passes in his lodge 


THE DEEKSLAYER 435 

is not for the chiefs of his own people to know ; still less for 
Mingo rogues — ” 

“ Call ’em vagabonds, Sarpent,” interrupted Deerslayer, unable 
to restrain his delight, — “ yes, just call ’em up-and-down vaga- 
bonds, which is a word easily intarpreted, and tlie most hateful to 
all their ears, it’s so true. Never fear me; I’ll give ’em your 
message, syllable for syllable, sneer for sneer, idee for idee, scorn 
for scorn, and they desarve no better at your hands. Only call 
’em vagabonds, once or twice, and that will set the sap mounting 
;! in ’em, from their lowest roots to the uppermost branches.” 

“ Still less for Mingo vagabonds ! ” resumed Chingacbgook, 
quite willingly complying with his friend’s request. ‘‘ Tell the 
Huron dogs to howl louder, if they wish a Delaware to find them 
in the woods, where they burrow like foxes, instead of hunting 
like warriors. When they had a Delaware maiden in tlieir camp, 
there was a reason for hunting them up ; now they will be for- 
gotten, unless they make a noise. Chingachgook don’t like the 
' trouble of going to his villages for more warriors ; he can strike 
I their runaway trail ; unless they hide it underground, he will 
I follow it to Canada, alone. He will keep Wah-ta-Wah with him 
to cook his game ; they two will be Delawares enough to scare 
I all the Hurons back to their own country.” 

“ That’s a grand despatch, as the officers call them things ! ” 

I cried Deerslayer; “ ’t will set all the Huron blood in motion ; 

I most particularly that part where he tells ’em Hist, too, will 
I keep on their heels, till they’re fairly driven out of the country. 
Ah ’s me ! big words are n’t always big deeds, notwithstanding. 
The Lord send that we be able to be only one half as good as we 
promise to be. And now, Judith, it ’s your turn to speak, for 
them miscreants will expect an answer from each person, pool- 
Hetty, perhaps, excepted.” 

“And why not Hetty, Deerslayer? She often speaks to 
the purpose; the Indians may respect her words, for they 
feel for people in her condition.” 


436 


THE DEERSLA YER 


“ That is true, Judith, and quick-thoughted in you. The 
redskins do respect misfortunes of all kinds, and Hetty’s in par- , 
ticular. So, Hetty, if you have anything to say, I ’ll carry it to ^ 
the Hurons as faithfully as if it was spoken by a schoolmaster 
or a missionary.” 

The girl hesitated a moment, and then she answered in her own 
gentle, soft tones, as earnestly as any who liad preceded her. 

“ The Hurons can’t understand the ditference between white 
people and themselves,” she said, “ or they wouldn’t ask Judith 
and me to go and live in their villages. God has given one 
country to the redmen and another to us. He means us to live 
apart. Then mother always said that we should never dwell 
with any but Christians, if possible, and that is a reason why ^ 
we can’t go. This lake is ours, and we won’t leave it. Father’s 

o f • ^ 

and mother’s graves are in it, and even the worst Indians love • 
to stay near the graves of their fathers. I will come and see ij 
them again, if they wish me to, and read more out of the Bible ^ 
to them, but I can’t quit father’s and mother’s graves.” J 

“That will do — that will do, Hetty, just as well as if you j 
sent them a message twice as long,” interrupted the hunter. 

“ I ’ll tell ’em all you’ve said, and all you mean, and I ’ll answer ' 
for it, that they’ll be easily satisfied. Now, Judith, your turn; 
comes next, and then this part of my arr’nd will be tarminated 
for the night.” ■ 

Judith manifested a reluctance to give her reply, that had 
awakened a little curiosity in the messenger. Judging from 
her known spirit, he had never supposed the girl would be 
less true to her feelings and principles than Hist or Hetty ; and 
yet there was a visible wavering of purpose that rendered 
him slightly uneasy. Even now, when directly required toji 
speak, she seemed to hesitate ; nor did she open her lips until® 
the profound silence told her how anxiously her words were* 
expected. Then, indeed, she spoke, but it was doubtingly and J 
with reluctance. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


437 


i 


I “Tell me, first — tell first, Deerslayer,” she commenced, 
I repeating the words merely to change the emphasis, “what 

! effect will our answers have on your fate ? If you are to be 

the sacrifice of our spirit, it would have been better had we 
I all been more wary as to the language we use. What, then, 

; are likely to be the consequences to yourself?” 

“ Lord, Judith, you might as well ask me the way the wind 

will blow next week, or what will be the age of the next deer 

that will be shot ! I can only say that their faces look a little 
I dark upon me, but it does n’t thunder every time a black cloud 
rises, nor does every puff of wind blow up rain. That’s a 
question, therefore, much more easily put than answered.” 

“ So is this message of the Iroquois to me,” answered Judith, 
rising, as if she had determined on her own course for the pres- 
ent. “ My answer shall be given, Deerslayer, after you and 
I have talked together alone, when the others have laid them- 
selves down for the night.” 

There was a decision in the manner of the girl that dis- 
posed Deerslayer to comply, and this he did the more readily 
as the delay could produce no material consequences, one 
way or the other. The meeting now broke up. Hurry an- 
nouncing his resolution to leave them speedily. During the 
hour that was suffered to intervene, in order that the dark- 
ness might deepen before the frontierman took his departure, 
the different individuals occupied themselves in their custom- 
ary modes, the hunter, in particular, passing most of the time 
in making further inquiries into the perfection of the rifle 
already mentioned. 

The hour of nine soon arrived, however, and then it had been 
determined that Hurry should commence his journey. Instead 
of making his adieus frankly, and in a generous spirit, the little 
he thought it necessary to say was uttered sullenly and in cold- 
ness. Resentment at what he considered Judith’s obstinacy 
was blended with mortification at the career he had run since 


438 


THE DEERSLAYER 


reaching the lake ; and, as is usual with the vulgar and narrow- 
minded, he was more disposed to reproach others with his fail- 
ures than to censure himself. Judith gave him her hand, but ' 
it was quite as much in gladness as with regret, while the two 
Delawares were not sorry to find he was leaving them. Of ; 
the whole party, Hetty alone betrayed any real feeling. Bash- | 
fulness, and the timidity of her sex and character, kept even i 
her aloof, so that Hurry entered the canoe, where Deerslayer 
was already waiting for him, before she ventured near enough i 
to be observed. Then, indeed, the girl came into the ark, and . 
approached its end just as the little bark was turning from it, I 
with a movement so light and steady as to be almost imper- ! 
ceptible. An impulse of feeling now overcame her timidity, | 
and Hetty spoke. j 

“ Good-by, Hurry,” — she called out in her sweet voice, — j 
“good-by, dear Hurry. Take care of yourself in the woods, 
and don’t stop once till you reach the garrison. The leaves | 
on the trees are scarcely plentier than the Hurons round the i 
lake, and they ’d not treat a strong man like you as kindly as I 
they treat me.” 

The ascendency which March had obtained over this feeble- 
minded, but right-thinking and right-feeling girl, arose from a 
law of nature. Her senses had been captivated by his personal 
advantages ; and her moral communications with him had never 
been sufficiently intimate to counteract an effect that must have 
been otherwise lessened, even with one whose mind was as ob- 
tuse as her own. Hetty’s instinct of right, if such a term can 
be applied to one who seemed taught by some kind spirit how 
to steer her course with unerring a(*.curacy between good and 
evil, would have revolted at Hurry’s character, on a thousand 
points, had there been opportunities to enlighten her ; but 
while he conversed and trided with her sister, at a distance 
from herself, his perfection of form and feature had been left to 
produce their influence on her simple imagination and naturally 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


439 


tender feelings, without sutfering by the alloy of his opinions and 
coarseness. It is tnie, she found him rough and rude ; but her 
hither was that, and most of the other men she had seen ; and 
that which she believed to belong to all of the sex, struck her 
less unfavorably in Hm-ry’s character tlian it might otherwise 
have done. Still, it was not absolutely love that Hetty felt 
for Hurry, nor do we wish so to portray it, but merely that 
awakening sensibility and admiration which, under more pro- 
pitious circumstances, and always supposing no untoward rev- 
elations of character on the part of the young man had 
supervened to prevent it, might soon have ripened into that 
engrossing feeling. She felt for him an incipient tenderness, 
but scarcely any passion. Perhaps the nearest approach to 
the latter that Hetty had manifested, was to be seen in the 
sensitiveness which had caused her to detect March’s predi- 
lection for her sister; for, among Judith’s many admirers, this 
was the only instance in which the dull mind of the girl had 
been quickened into an observation of the circumstance. 

Hurry received so little sympathy at his departure, that the 
gentle tones of Hetty, as she thus called after him, sounded 
soothingly. He checked the canoe, and with one sweep of his 
powerful arm brought it back to the side of the ark. This was 
more than Hetty, whose courage had risen with the departure 
of her hero, expected, and she now shrank timidly back at his 
unexpected return. 

“You’re a good gal, Hetty, and I can’t quit you without 
shaking hands,” said March, kindly. “Judith, a’ter all, isn’t 
worth as much as you, though she may be a trifle better 
looking. As to wits, if honesty and fair dealing with a young 
man is a sign of sense in a young woman, you ’re worth a dozen 
Judiths ; ay, and for that matter, most young women of my 
acquaintance.” 

“ Don’t say anything against Judith, Harry,” returned 
Hetty, imploringly. “Father’s gone, and mother’s gone, and 


440 


THE DEEESLAYER 


nobody ’s left but Judith and me, and it is n’t right for sisters 
to speak evil, or to hear evil, of each other. Father’s in the 
lake, and so is mother, and we should all fear God, for we 
don’t know when we may be in the lake, too.” 

“ That sounds reasonable, child, as does most you say. Well, 
if we ever meet again, Hetty, you ’d find a fri’nd in me, 
let your sister do what she may. I w^as no great fri’nd of 
your mother. I’ll allow, for we didn’t think alike on most 
p’ints ; but then your father, old Tom, and I fitted each other 
as remarkably as a buckskin garment will fit any reasonable- 
built man. I ’ve always been unanimous of opinion that okl 
Floating Tom Hutter, at the bottom, was a good fellow, and 
will maintain that ag’in all inimies for his sake, as well as for 
your’n.” 

“ Good-by, Hurry,” said Hetty, who now w^anted to hasten 
the young man otf, as ardently as she had wished to keep him 
only the moment before, though she could give no clearer 
account of the latter than of the former feeling ; “ good-by. 
Hurry ; take care of yourself in the woods ; don’t halt till you 
reach the garrison. I ’ll read a chapter in the Bible for you, 
before I go to bed, and I ’ll think of you in my prayers.” 

This was touching a point on which March had no sym- 
jmthies, and without more words he shook the girl cordially 
by the hand and re-entered the canoe. In another minute 
the two adventurers were a hundred feet from the ark, and 
half a dozen had not elapsed before they were completely lost 
to view. Hetty sighed deeply, and rejoined her sister and 
Hist. 

For some time Deerslayer and his companion paddled ahead 
in silence. It had been determined to land Hurry at the pre- 
cise point w^here he is represented, in the commencement of our 
tale, as having embarked ; not only as a place little likely to be 
watched by the Hurons, but because he was sufficiently famil- 
iar with the signs of the wmods, at that spot, to thread "his w^ay 


THE DEERSLAYETt 


441 


i through them in the dark. Thither, then, the light craft pro- 
! ceeded, being urged as diligently, and as swiftly as two vigor- 
[ ous and skilful canoe-men could force their little vessel through, 
or rather over, the water. Less than a quarter of an hour suf- 
ficed for the object ; and, at the end of that time, being within 
, the shadows of the shore, and quite near the point they sought, 
i each ceased his etibrts in order to make their parting communi- 
cations out of ear-shot of any straggler who might happen to be 
in the neighborhood. 

“You will do well to persuade the officers at the garrison to 
lead out a party ag’in these vagabonds, as soon as you get in. 
Hurry,” Deerslayer commenced ; “ and you ’ll do better if you 
volunteer to guide it up yourself. You know the paths, and 
j the shape of the lake, and the natur’ of the land, and can do it 
better than a common, gin’ralizing scout. Strike at the Huron 
camp first, and follow the signs that will then show themselves. 
A few looks at the hut and the ark will satisfy you as to the state 
of the Delaware and the women ; and, at any rate, there ’ll be 
a fine opportunity to fall on the Mingo trail, and to make a 
mark on the memories of the blackguards that they ’ll be apt to 
carry with ’em for a long time. It won’t be likely to make much 
difference with me, since that matter will be detarmined afore 
to-morrow’s sun has set ; but it may make a great change in 
Judith and Hetty’s hopes and prospects ! ” 

“And as for yourself, Nathaniel,” Hurry inquired with more 
interest than he was accustomed to betray in the welfare of others, 
— “ and as for yourself, what do you think is likely to turn up ? ” 
“ The Lord in his wisdom only can tell, Henry March ! The 
clouds look black and threatening, and I keep my mind in a 
state to meet the worst. Vengeful feelin’s are uppermost in 
the hearts of the Mingos, and any little disapp’intment about 
the plunder, or the prisoners, or Hist, may make the torments 
sartain. The Lord, in his wisdom, can only dqtarmine my fate, 
or your’n ! ” 


442 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ This is a black business, and ought to be put a stop to, in 
some way or other,” answered Hurry, confounding the distinc- 
tions between right and wrong, as is usual with selfish and vul- 
gar men. “I heartily wish old Hutterand I had scalped every 
creatur’ in their camp, the night we first landed with that capi- 
tal object ! Had you not held back, Deerslayer, it might have 
been done ; then you v/ould n’t have found yourself, at the last 
moment, in the desperate condition you mention.” 

“ ’T would have been better had you said you wished you 
had never attempted to do what it little becomes any white 
man’s gifts to undertake ; in which case, not only might we 
have kept from coming to blows, but Thomas Hutter would 
now have been living, and the hearts of the savages would be 
less given to vengeance. The death of that young woman, too, 
was oncalled for, Henry March, and leaves a heavy load on our 
names, if not on our consciences ! ” 

This was so apparent, and it seemed so obvious to Hurry 
himself, at the moment, that he dashed his paddle into the 
water, and began to urge the canoe towards the shore, as if 
bent only on running aw'ay from his own lively remorse. His 
companion humored this feverish desire for change, and in a 
minute or two the bows of the boat grated lightly on the shin- 
gle of the beach. To land, shoulder his pack and rifie, and to 
get ready for his march, occupied Hurry but an instant, and with 
a growling adieu, he had already commenced his march, when 
a sudden twinge of feeling brought him to a dead stop, and 
immediately after to the other’s side. 

“You cannot mean to give yourself up ag’in to them mur- 
dering savages, Deerslayer ! ” he said, cpiite as much in angry 
remonstrance as wdth generous feeling. “ ’T would be the act 
of a madman or a fool ! ” 

“ There ’s them that thinks it madness to keep their words, 
and there ’s them that don’t. Hurry Harry. You may be one 
of the first, but I’m one of the last. No redskin breathing 


THE DEERSLAYER 


443 


shall have it in his power to say that a Mingo minds his word 
more than a man of white blood and white gifts, in anything 
that consams me. I ’m out on a furlough, and if I Ve strength 
and reason, I ’ll go in on a furlough afore noon to-morrow ! ” 

“ What ’s an Injun, or a word passed, or a furlough taken 
from creatur’s like them, that have neither souls nor names ? ” 

“ If they Ve got neither souls nor names, you and I have 
both, Harry March, and one is accountable for the other. This 
furlough is not, as you seem to think, a matter altogether 
atween me and the Mingos, seeing it is a solemn bargain made 
atween me and God. He who thinks that he can say what he 
pleases, in his distress, and that ’twill all pass for nothing, 
because ’t is uttered in the forest, and into redmen’s ears, knows 
little of his situation, and hopes, and wants. The words are 
said to the ears of the Almighty. The air is his breath, and 
the light of the sun is little more than a glance of his eye. 
Farewell, Harry ; we may not meet ag’in ; but I would never 
wish you to treat a furlough, or any other solemn thing that your 
Christian God has been called on to witness, as a duty so light 
that it may be forgotten according to the wants of the body, or 
even according to the cravings of the spirit.” 

March was noAV glad again to escape. It was quite impos- 
sible that he could enter into the sentiments that ennobled 
his companion, and he broke away from both with an impa- 
tience that caused him secretly to curse the folly that could 
induce a man to rush, as it were, on his own destruction. 
Deerslayer, on the contrary, manifested no such excitement. 
Sustained by his principles, inflexible in the purpose of acting 
up to them, and superior to any unmanly apprehension, he 
regarded all before him as a matter of course, and no more 
thought of making any unworthy attempt to avoid it, than a 
Mussulman thinks of counteracting the decrees of Providence. 
He stood calmly on the shore, listening to tlie reckless tread 
with which Hurry betrayed his progress through the bushes, 


444 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


shook his head in dissatisfaction at the want of caution, and 
then stepped quietly into his canoe. Before he dropped the 
paddle again into the water, the young man gazed about him 
at the scene presented by the star-lit night. This was the spot 
where he had first laid his eyes on the beautiful sheet of water 
on which he floated. If it was then glorious in the bright 
light of summer’s noon-tide, it was now sad and melancholy 
under the shadows of night. The mountains rose around it, 
like black barriers to exclude the outer world ; and the gleams of 
pale light that rested on the broader parts of the basin, were no 
bad symbols of the faintness of the hopes that w'ere so dimly 
visible in his own future. Sighing heavily, he pushed the 
canoe from the land, and took his way back with steady dili- 
gence towards the ark and the castle. 


CHAPTER XXIV 

“ Thy secret pleasures turned to open shame ; 

Thy private feasting to a public fast; 

Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name ; 

Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste; 

Thy violent vanities can never last.” 

Rape of Lucrece. 

Judith was waiting the return of Deerslayer, on the plat- 
form, with stifled impatience, when the latter reached the hut. 
Hist and Hetty were both in a deep sleep, on the bed usually 
occupied by the two daughters of the house, and the Delaware 
was stretched on the floor of the adjoining room, his rifle at his 
side, and a blanket over him, already dreaming of the events of 
the last few days. There was a lamp burning in the ark, for 
the family was accustomed to indulge in this luxury on extraor- 
dinary occasions, and possessed the means, the vessel being of 


THE DEERSLAYER 


445 


a form and material to render it probable it had once been an 
occupant of the chest. 

As soon as the girl got a glimpse of the canoe, she ceased her 
hurried walk up and down the platform, and stood ready to 
receive the young man, whose return she had now been anx- 
iously expecting for some time. She helped him to fasten the 
canoe, and by aiding in the other little similar employments, 
manifested her desire to reach a moment of liberty as soon as 
possible. When this was done, in answer to an inquiry of his 
she informed him of the manner in which their companions had 
disposed of themselves. He listened attentively, for the manner 
of the girl was so earnest and impressive as to apprise him that 
she had something on her mind of more than common concern. 

“And now, Deerslayer,” Judith continued, “you see I have 
lighted the lamp, and put it in the cabin of the ark. That is 
never done with us, unless on great occasions, and I consider this 
night as the most important of my life. Will you follow me and 
see what I have to show you — hear what I have to say 1 ” 

The hunter was a little surprised ; but making no objections, 
both were soon in the scow, and in the room that contained 
the light. Here two stools were placed at the side of the 
chest, with the lamp on another, and a table near by to 
receive the different articles, as they might be brought to view. 
This arrangement had its rise in the feverisli impatience of the 
girl, which could brook no delay that it was in her power to 
obviate. Even all the padlocks were removed, and it only 
remained to raise the heavy lid, and to expose the treasures of 
this long-secreted hoard. 

“I see, in part, what all this means,” observed Deerslayer, 
“ yes, I see through it, in part. But why is not Hetty present ? 
Now Thomas Hutter is gone, she is one of the owners of these 
cur’osities, and ought to see them opened and handled.” 

“ Hetty sleeps,” answered Judith, hastily. “ Happily for her, 
fine clothes and riches have no charms. Besides, she has this 


446 


THE DEERSLAYER 


night given her share of all that the chest may hold to me, that 
I may do with it as I please.” 

“ Is poor Hetty composs enough for that, Judith 1 ” demanded 
the just-minded young man. “ It ’s a good rule, and a righteous 
one, never to take when those that give don’t know the valie of 
their gifts ; and such as God has visited heavily in their wits, 
ought to be dealt with as carefully as children that have n’t yet 
come to their understandings.” 

Judith was hurt at this rebuke, coming from the person it 
did ; but she would have felt it far more keenly had not her 
conscience fully acquitted her of any unjust intentions towards 
her feeble-minded but confiding sister. It was not a moment, 
however, to betray any of her usual mountings of the spirit, 
and she smothered the passing sensation in the desire to come 
to the great object she had in view. 

“ Hetty will not be wronged,” she mildly answered ; “ she 
even knows not only what I am about to do, Deerslayer, but 
ivhy I do it. So take your seat, raise the lid of the chest, and 
this time we will go to the bottom. I shall be disappointed if 
something is not found to tell us more of the history of Thomas 
Hutter and my mother.” 

“Why Thomas Hutter, Judith, and not your father? The 
dead ought to meet with as much reverence as the living ! ” 

“ I have long suspected that Thomas Hutter was not my 
father, though I did think he might have been Hetty’s ; but 
now we know he was father of neither. He acknowledged that 
much ill liis dying moments. I am old enough to remember 
better things than we have seen on this lake, though they are 
so faintly impressed on my memory that the earlier part of my 
life seems like a dream.” 

“Dreams are but miserable guides when one has to detar- 
mine about realities, Judith,” returned the other, admonishingly. 
“Fancy nothing and hope nothing on their account; though 
1 ’ve known cliiefs that thouglit ’em useful.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


447 


I expect nothing for the future from them, my good friend, 
but cannot help remembering what has been. This is idle, 

■ however, when half-an-hour of examination may tell us all, or 
even more than I want to know.” 

Deerslayer, who comprehended the girl’s impatience, now’ 
' took his seat, and proceeded once more to bring to light the 
i; different articles that the chest contained. As a matter of 
. course, all that had been previously examined were found w’here 
I they had been last deposited ; and they excited much less inter- 
] est or comment than w^hen formerly exposed to view^ Even 
) Judith laid aside the rich brocade with an air of indifference, for 
' she had a far higher aim before her than the indulgence of 
^ vanity, and was impatient to come at the still hidden, or rather 
i unknown, treasures. 

“All these we have seen before,” she said, “and will not 
1 stop to open. The bundle under your hand, Deerslayer, is 
I a fresh one ; that w’e will look into. God send it may con- 
i. tain something to tell poor Hetty and myself w’ho we really 
i are.” 

' “ Ay, if some bundles could speak they might tell w^onderful 

secrets,” returned the young man, deliberately undoing the folds 
I of another piece of coarse canvas, in order to come at the con- 
; tents of the roll that lay on his knees ; “ though this does n’t 
ij seem to be one of that family, seeing ’t is neither more nor less 
: than a sort of flag ; though of what nation, it passes my I’arnin’ 
to say.” 

“ That flag must have some meaning to it,” Judith hurriedly 
I interposed. “ Open it wider, Deerslayer, that we may see the 
! colors.” 

“ Well, I pity the ensign that has to shoulder this cloth, 
and to parade it about in the field. Why ’t is large enough, 
Judith, to make a dozen of them colors the King’s officers set 
so much store by. These can be no ensign’s colors, but a 
gin’ral’s ! ” 


448 


THE DEERSLA YER 


“A ship might carry it, Deerslayer; and ships I know do 
use such things. Have you never heard any fearful stories i 
about Thomas Butter’s having once been concerned with the ^ 
people they call buccaneers ? ” 

“ Buck-and-near ! Not I — not I — I never heard him men- 
tioned as good at a buck far off, or near by. Hurry Harry did ! 
tell me something about its being supposed that he had formerly, , 
in some way or other, dealings with sartain sea-robbers ; but,. . 
Lord, Judith, it can’t surely give any satisfaction to make out -i: 
that ag’in your mother’s own husband, though he isn’t your. | 
father?” ‘ . ] 

“Anything will give me satisfaction that tells me who I am, j 
and helps to explain the dreams of childhood. My mother’s \ 
husband ! Yes, he must have been that, though why a woman J 
like her should have chosen a man like him, is more tluan .1 
mortal reason can explain. You never saw motlier, Deerslayer, , 
and can’t feel the vast, vast difference there was between 
them ! ” | 

“Such things do happen, howsever, — yes, they do happen;’ 
though why Providence lets them come to pass, is more than I i 
understand. I’ve knew the f’ercest warriors with the gentlest . 
wives of any in the tribe, and awful scolds fall to the lot ofal 
Injins fit to be missionaries.” Ji 

“That was not it, Deerslayer; that was not it. Oh, if itli 
should prove that — no ; I cannot wish she should not havejj 
been his wife at all. That no daughter can wish for her ownlj 
mother ! Go on, now, and let us see what the square-lookingl 
bundle holds.” fj] 

Deerslayer complied, and he found that it contained a small J 
tnink of pretty workmanship, but fastened. The next point? 
was to find a key ; but search proving ineffectual, it was deter- J 
mined to force the lock. This Deerslayer soon effected by the | 
aid of an iron instrument, and it was found that the interiorj 
was nearly filled with papers. Many were letters; some frag- 1 


THE DEERSLAYER 


449 


ments of manuscripts, memorandums, accounts, and other simi- 
lar documents. The hawk does not pounce upon the chicken 
with a more sudden swoop, than Judith sprang forward to 
seize this mine of hitherto concealed knowledge. Her educa- 
tion, as the reader will have perceived, was far superior to her 
situation in life, and her eye glanced over page after page of 
the letters, with a readiness that her schooling supplied, and 
with an avidity that found its origin in her feelings. At first, it 
was evident that the girl was gratified, and, we may add, with 
reason; for the letters, written by females, in innocence and 
affection, were of a character to cause her to feel proud of those 
with whom she had every reason to think she was closely con- 
nected by the ties of blood. It does not come within the 
scope of our plan to give more of these epistles, liowever, than 
a general idea of their contents, and this will best be done by 
describing the effect they produced on the manner, appearance, 
and feeling of her who was so eagerly perusing them. 

It has been said already that Judith was much gratified with 
the letters that first met her eye. They contained the corre- 
spondence of an affectionate and intelligent mother to an absent 
daughter, with such allusions to the answers as served, in a great 
measure, to fill up the vacuum left by the replies. They were 
not without admonitions and warnings, however, and Judith 
felt the blood mounting to her temples, and a cold shudder suc- 
ceeding, as she read one in which the propriety of the daughter’s 
indulging in as much intimacy, as had evidently been described 
in one of the daughter’s own letters, with an officer “ who came 
from Europe, and who could hardly be supposed to wish to form 
an honorable connection in America,” was rather coldly com- 
mented on by the mother. What rendered it singular, was the 
fact that the signatures had been carefully cut from every one 
of these letters, and wherever a name occurred in the body of 
the epistles, it had been erased with so much diligence as to 
render it impossible to read it. They had all been enclosed 
26 


450 


THE EEERSLAYER 


in envelopes, according to the fashion of the age, and not an 
address either was to be found. Still, the letters themselves 
had been religiously preserved, and Judith thought she could 
discover traces of tears remaining on several. She now remem- 
bered to have seen the little trunk in her mother’s keeping, previ- 
ously to her death, and she supposed it had first been deposited 
in the chest, along with the other forgotten or concealed objects, 
when the letters could no longer contribute to that parent’s grief 
or happiness. 

Next came another bundle, and these were filled with the 
protestations of love, written with passion certainly, but also 
with that deceit which men so often think it justifiable to use 
to the other sex. Judith had shed tears abundantly over the 
first packet, but now she felt a sentiment of indignation and 
pride better sustaining her. Her hand shook, however, and 
cold shivers again passed through her frame, as she discovered 
a few points of strong resemblance between these letters and 
some it had been her own fate to receive. Once, indeed, she 
laid the packet down, bowed her head to her knees, and seemed 
nearly convulsed. All this time, Deerslayer sat a silent but 
attentive observer of everything that passed. As Judith read a 
letter she put it into his hands to hold, until she could peruse 
the next ; but this seemed in no degree to enlighten her com- 
panion, as he was totally unable to read. Nevertheless, he was 
not entirely at fault in discovering the passions that were con- 
tending in the bosom of the fair creature by his side, and as 
occasional sentences escaped her in murmurs, he was nearer the 
truth, in his divinations or conjectures, than the girl would have 
been pleased at discovering. 

Judith had commenced at the earliest letters, luckily for a 
ready comprehension of the tale they told ; for they were care- 
fidly arranged in chronological order, and to any one who would 
take the trouble to peruse them, would have revealed a sad his- 
tory of gratified passion, coldness, and finally, of aversion. As 


THE DEERSLAYER 


451 


she obtained the clue of their import, her impatience could not 
admit of delay, and she soon got to glancing her eyes over a 
, page, by way of coming at the truth in the briefest manner pos- 
; sible. By adopting this expedient, one to which all who are 
^ eager to arrive at results without encumbering themselves with 
! details, are so apt to resort, Judith made a rapid progress in 
this melancholy revelation of her mother’s failings and punish- 
ment, She saw that the period of her own birth was distinctly 
referred to, and even learned that the homely name she bore 
was given her by the father, of whose person she retained so 
faint an impression as to resemble a dream. This name was 
not obliterated from the text of the letters, but stood as if noth- 
ing was to be gained by erasing it. Hetty’s birth was men- 
tioned once, and in that instance the name was the mother’s ; 
but ere this period was reached came the signs of coldness, 
shadowing forth the desertion that was so soon to follow. It 
was in this stage of the correspondence that her mother had re- 
course to the plan of copying her own epistles. They were but 
few, but were eloquent with the feelings of blighted affection 
and contrition. Judith sobbed over them until again and again 
she felt compelled to lay them aside, from sheer physical inability 
to see, her eyes being literally obscured with tears. Still she 
returned to the task with increasing interest, and finally suc- 
ceeded in reaching the end of the latest communication that had 
probably ever passed between her parents. 

All this occupied fully an hour ; for near a hundred letters 
were glanced at, and some twenty had been closely read. The 
truth now shone clear upon the acute mind of Judith, so far as 
her own birth and that of Hetty were concerned. She sickened 
at the conviction, and, for the moment, the rest of the world 
seemed to be cut off from her, and she had now additional rea- 
sons for wishing to pass the remainder of her life on the lake, 
where she had already seen so many bright and so many sorrow- 
ing days. 


452 


THE DEERSLAYER 


There yet remained more letters to examine. Jndith found ji 
these were a correspondence between her mother and Thomas , 
Hovey. The originals of both parties were carefully arranged, il 
letter and answer, side by side ; and they told the early history j 
of the connection between the ill-assorted pair far more plainly 
than Judith wished to learn it. Her mother made the advances ■ 
towards a marriage, to the surprise, not to say horror, of her j 
daughter ; and she actually found a relief when she discovered 
traces of what struck her as insanity, or a morbid disposition, 
bordering on that dire calamity, in the earlier letters of that 
ill-fated woman. The answers of Hovey were coarse and ill it- | 
erate, though they manifested a sufficient desire to obtain the f 
hand of a woman of singular personal attractions, and whose I 
great error he was willing to overlook, for the advantage of | 
possessing one every way so much his superior, and who, it . 
also appeared, was not altogether destitute of money. The | 
remainder of this part of the correspondence was brief ; and j 
it was soon confined to a few communications on business, in j 
which the miserable wife hastened the absent husband in his \ 
preparations to abandon a world which there was a sufficient | 
reason to think was as dangerous to one of the parties as it was [| 
disagreeable to the other. But a single expression had escaped | 
her mother, by which Judith could get a clue to the motive.s ^ 
that had induced her to marry Hovey, or Hutter ; and this l| 
she found was that feeling of resentment which so often tempts ji 
the injured to inflict wrongs on themselves, by way of heaping ji 
coals on the heads of those through whom they have suffered. ; 
Judith had enough of the spirit of that mother to comprehend 1, 
this sentiment, and for a moment did she see the exceeding | 
folly which permitted such revengeful feelings to get the as- : 
cendency. 

There, what may be called the historical part of the papers ! 
ceased. Among the loose fragments, however, was an old news- 
paper that contained a proclamation ofiering a reward for the 


THE DEERSI.AYER 


453 


apprehension of certain freebooters by name, among which was 
that of Thomas Hovey. The attention of the girl was drawn 
to the proclamation, and to this particular name, by the cir- 
cumstance that black lines had been drawn under both in ink. 
Nothing else was found among the papers that could lead to a 
discovery of either the name or the place of residence of the 
wife of Hutter. Alb the dates, signatures, and addresses had 
been cut from the letters, and wherever a word oc^curred in the 
body of the communications that might fun.ish a clue, it was 
scrupulously erased. Thus Judith found all her hopes of ascer- 
taining wdio her parents were, defeated, and she was obliged to 
fall back on her own resources and habits for everything con- 
.nected with the future. Her recollection of her mother’s man- 
ners, conversation, and sufferings, filled up many a gap in the 
historical facts she had now discovered ; and the truth in its 
outlines stood sufficiently distinct before her, to tcike away all 
desire, indeed, to possess any more details. Throwing herself 
back in her seat, she simply desired her companion to finish 
the examination of the other articles in the chest, as it might 
yet contain something of importance. 

“ I ’ll do it, Judith ; I ’ll do it,” returned the patient Deer- 
slayer ; “ but if there ’s many more letters to read, we shall see 
the sun ag’in afore you ’ve got through with the reading of 
them ! Two good hours have you been looking at them bits 
of papers ! ” 

“ They tell me of my parents, Deerslayer, and have settled 
my plans for life. A girl may be excused, who reads about 
her otvn father and mother, and that too for the first time in 
her life ! I am sorry to have kept you waiting.” 

“ Never mind me, gal ; never mind me. It matters little 
whether I sleep or watch ; but though you be pleasant to look 
at, and are so handsome, Judith, it is not altogether agreeable 
to sit so long to behold you shedding tears. I know that 
tears don’t kill, and that some people are better for shedding a 


454 


' THE DEERSLAYER 


few now and then, especially women ; but I ’d rather see you 
smile any time, Judith, than see you weep.” 

This gallant speech was rewarded with a sweet, though a 
melancholy smile ; and then the girl again desired her compan- 
ion to finish the examination of the chest. The search neces- 
sarily continued some time, during which Judith collected her 
thoughts and regained her composure. She took no part in 
the search, leaving everything to the young man, looking list- 
lessly herself at the different articles that came uppermost. 
Nothing further of much interest or value, however, was found. 
A sword or two, such as were then worn by gentlemen, some 
buckles of silver, or so richly plated as to appear silver, and a 
few handsome articles of female dress, composed the principal 
discoveries. It struck both Judith and the Deerslayer, not- 
withstanding, that some of these things might be made useful 
in effecting a negotiation with the Iroquois, though the latter 
saw a difficulty in the way that was not so apparent to the 
former. The conversation was first renewed in connection with 
this point. 

“ And now, Deerslayer,” said Judith, “ we may talk of your- 
self, and of the means of getting you out of the hands of the 
Hurons. Any part, or all of what you have seen in the chest, 
will be cheerfully given by me and Hetty to set you at liberty.” 

“Well, that’s gin’rous, — yes, ’tis downright free-hearted, 
and free-handed, and gin’rous. This is the way with women ; 
when they take up a fri’ndship, they do nothing by halves, 
but are as willing to part with their property as if it had no 
value in their eyes. Howsever, while I thank you both, just 
as much as if the bargain was made, and Rivenoak, or any 
of the other vagabonds was here to accept and close the treaty, 
there ’s two principal reasons why it can never come to pass, 
which may be as well told at once, in order no onlikely ex- 
pectations may be raised in you, or any oiijustifiable hopes 
in me.” 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


455 


“ What reason can there be, if Hetty and I are willing to 
part with the trifles for your sake, and the savages are willing 
to receive them 1 ” 

“That’s it, Judith; you’ve got the idees, but they’re a 
little out of their places, as if a hound should take the back- 
’ard instead of the leading scent. That the Mingos will be 
willing to receive them things, or any more like ’em, you may 
have to offer, is probable enough ; but whether they ’ll pay valie 
for ’em is quite another matter. Ask yourself, Judith, if any 
one should send you a message to say that, for such or such a 
price, you and Hetty might have that chist and all it holds, 
whether you ’d think it Avorth your while to 'waste many words 
on the bargain ? ” 

“ But this chest and all it holds, are already ours ; there is 
no reason why we should purchase what is already our own.” 

“Just so the Mingos calculate ! They say the chist is theirs 
already ; or as good as theirs, and they ’ll not thank anybody 
for the key.” 

“I understand you, Deerslayer ; surely we are yet in pos- 
session of the lake, and we can keep possession of it until Hurry 
sends troops to drive off the enemy. This we may certainly do, 
provided you will stay with us, instead of going back and giving 
yourself up a prisoner again, as you now seem determined on.” 

“ That Hurry Harry should talk in this way, is nat’ral and 
according to the gifts of the man. He knows no better, and, 
therefore, he is little likely to feel or to act any better ; but, 
Judith, I put it to your heart and conscience, — would you, could 
you think of me as favorably as I hope and believe you now do, 
was I to forget my furlough and not go back to tlie camp ? ” 

“ To think more favorably of you than I now do, Deerslayer, 
would not be easy ; but I might continue to think cns- favorably 
— at least it seems so — I hope I could ; for a world wouldn’t 
tempt me to let you do anything that might change my real 
opinion of you.” 


456 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Then don’t try to entice me to overlook my furlough, gal ! : 
A furlough is a sacred thing among warriors, and men that ' 
carry their lives in their hands, as we of the forests do ; and | 
what a grievous disapp’intment would it be to old Tamenund, ; 
and to Uncas, the father of the Sarpent, and to my other fri’nds j 
in the tribe, if I was to disgrace myself on my very first war- I 
path? This you will parceive, moreover, Judith, is without ; 
laying any stress on nat’ral gifts, and a white man’s duties, to | 
say nothing of conscience. The last is king with me, and I try I 
never to dispute his orders.” i 

“ I believe you are right, Deerslayer,” returned the girl, after : 
a little reflection, and in a saddened voice ; “a man like you | 
ought not to act as the selfish and dishonest would be apt to j 
act ; you must, indeed, go back. We will talk no more of this, | 
then ; should I persuade you to anything for which you would 
be sorry hereafter, my own regret would not be less than yours, i 
You shall not have it to say, Judith — I scarce know by what i 
name to call myself, now ! ” i 

“ And why not ? — why not, gal ? Children take the names 
of their parents nat’rally and by a sort of gift, like ; and why ^ 
should n’t you and Hetty do as others have done afore ye ? 
Hutter was the old man’s name, and Hutter should be the 
name of his darters ; at least until you are given away in law- 
ful and holy wedlock.” i 

“I am Judith, and Judith only,” returned the girl, posi- j 
tively, “ until the law gives me a right to another name. 
Never will I use that of Thomas Hutter again ; nor, with my ‘ 
consent, shall Hetty ! Hutter was not his own name, I find ; | 
but had he a thousand rights to it, it would give none to me. i 
He was not my father, thank Heaven ; though I may have no • 
reason to be proud of him that was ! ” i 

“ This is strange,” said Deerslayer, looking steadily at the ! 
excited girl, anxious to know more, but unwilling to inquire | 
into matters that did not properly concern him ; “ yes, this is I 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


457 


very strange and oncommon ! Thomas Hotter was n’t Thomas 
Hotter, and his darters were n’t his darters ! Who, then, 
coold Thomas Hotter be, and who are his darters ? ” 

“ Did yoo never hear anything whispered against the former 
life of this person, Deerslayer?” demanded Jodith. “Passing, 
as I did, for his child, soch reports reached even me.” 

“ I ’ll not deny it, Jodith ; no, I ’ll not deny it. Sartain 
things have been said, as I ’v^ told yoo ; bot I ’m not very credi- 
ble as to reports. Yoong as I am, I ’ve lived long enoogh to 
Tarn there ’s two sorts of characters in the world. Them that 
is ’arned by deeds, and them that is ’arned by tongoes ; and so I 
prefer to see and jodge for myself, instead of letting every jaw 
that chooses to wag become my jodge. Horry Harry spoke 
pretty plainly of the whole family, as we joorneyed thisaway ; 
and he did hint something consarning Thomas Hotter’s having 
been a free-liver on the water in his yoonger days. By free- 
liver, I mean that he made free to live on other men’s goods.” 

“ He told yoo he was a pirate — there is no need of minc- 
ing matters between friends. Read that, Deerslayer, and yoo 
will see that he told yoo no more than the troth. This 
Thomas Hovey was the Thomas Hotter yoo knew, as is seen 
by these letters.” 

As Jodith spoke, with a floshed clieek and eyes dazzling with 
the brilliancy of excitement, she held the newspaper towards 
her companion, pointing to the proclamation of a colonial gov- 
ernor, already mentioned. 

“Bless yoo, Jodith!” answered the other, laoghing; “you 
might as well ask me to print that — or, for that matter, to 
write it. My edication has been altogether in the woods ; the 
only book I read, or care about reading, is the one which God 
has opened afore all his creator’s in the noble forests, broad 
lakes, rolling rivers, blue skies, and the winds, and tempests, 
and sunshine, and other glorious marvels of the land 1 This 
book I can read, and I find it full of wisdom and knowledge.” 


458 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“I crave your pardon, Deerslayer,” said Judith, earnestly, 
more abashed than was her wont, in finding that she had 
inadvertently made an appeal that might wound her compan- 
ion’s pride. “ I had forgotten your manner of life, and least 
of all did I wish to hurt your feelings.” 

“ Hurt my feelin’s ! — why should it hurt my feelin’s to ask 
me to read, when I can’t read ? I ’m a hunter — and I may 
now begin to say a warrior, and no missionary ; and, therefore, 
books and papers are of no account with such as I. No, no, 
Judith,” and here the young man laughed cordially ; “ not even 
for wads, seeing that your true deer-killer always uses the hide 
of a fa’an, if he ’s got one, or some other bit of leather suitably 
prepared. There ’s some that do say, all that stands in print 
is true ; in which case, I ’ll own an unl’arned man must be 
somewhat of a loser ; nevertheless, it can’t be truer than that 
which God has printed with his own hand, in the sky, and the 
woods, and the rivers, and the springs.” 

“ Well, then, Hutter, or Hovey, was a pirate ; and being no 
father of mine, I cannot wish to call him one. His name shall 
no longer be my name.” 

“ If you dislike the name of that man, there ’s the name of your 
mother, Judith. Her name may serve you just as good a turn.” 

“ I do not know it. I ’ve looked through those papers. Deer- 
slayer, in the hope of finding some hint by which I might dis- 
cover who my mother was ; but there is no more trace of the 
past in that respect, than the bird leaves in the air.” 

“ That ’s both oncommon and onreasonable. Parents are 
bound to give their offspring a name, even though they give 
’em nothing else. Now, I come of a humble stock, though we 
have white gifts and a white natur’ ; but we are not so poorly 
off as to have no name. Bumppo we are called, and I ’ve heard 
it said,” a touch of human vanity glowing on his cheek, “ that 
the time has been when the Bumppos had more standing and 
note among mankind than they have just now.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


459 


“ They never deserved them more, Deerslayer, and the name 
is a good one ; either Hetty or myself would a thousand times 
rather be called Hetty Bumppo or Judith Bumppo, than to be 
called Hetty or Judith Hutter.” 

“ That ’s a moral impossible,” returned the hunter, good hu- 
moredly, “ unless one of you should so far demean herself as to 
marry me.” 

Judith could not refrain from smiling, when she found how 
simply and naturally the conversation had come round to the 
very point at which she aimed to bring it. Although far from 
unfeminine or forward in her feelings or her habits, tlie girl was 
goaded by a sense of wrongs not altogether merited, incited by 
the helplessness of a future that seemed to contain no resting- 
place, and still more influenced by feelings that were as novel to 
her as they proved to be active and engrossing. The opening 
was too good, therefore, to be neglected, though she came to the 
subject with much of the indirectness, and, perhaps, justifiable 
address of a woman. 

“ I do not think Hetty will ever marry, Deerslayer,” she said ; 
“ if your name is to be borne by either of us, it must be borne 
by me.” 

“ There ’s been handsome women, too, they tell me, among 
the Bumppos, Judith, afore now, and should you take up with 
the name, oncommon as you be, in this particular, them that 
knows the family won’t J^e altogether surprised.” 

“ This is not talking'as becomes either of us, Deerslayer; for 
whatever is said on such a subject, between man and woman, 
should be said seriously, and in sincerity of heart. Forgetting 
the shame that ought to keep girls silent, until spoken to, in 
most cases, I will deal with you as frankly as I know one of 
your generous nature will most like to be dealt by. Can you 
— do you think, Deerslayer, that you could be happy with such 
a wife as a woman like myself would make ? ” 

“ A woman like you, Judith ! But where ’s the sense in 


460 


THE DEKRSLAYER 


trifling about such a thing ? A woman like you, that is hand- 
some enough to be a captain’s lady, and fine enough, and, so far 
as I know, edication enough, would be little apt to think of 
becoming my wife. I suppose young gals that feel themselves 
to be smart, and know themselves to be handsome, find a sartain 
satisfaction in passing their jokes ag’in them that ’s neither, like 
a poor Delaware hunter.” i 

This was said good-naturedly, but not without a betrayal of 
feeling which showed that something like mortified sensibility 
was blended with the reply. Nothing could have occurred more 
likely to awaken all Judith’s generous regrets, or to aid her in her 
purpose, by adding the stimulant of a disinterested desire to atone, 
to her other impulses, and clothing all under a guise so winning 
and natural, as greatly to lessen the unpleasant feature of a for- 
wardness unbecoming the sex. 

“You do me injustice if you suppose I have any such thought 
or wish,” she answered, earnestly. “ Never was I more serious 
in my life, or more willing to abide by any agreement that we 
may make to-night. I have had many suitors, Deerslayer — 
nay, scarce an unmarried trapper or hunter has been in at the 
lake these four years, who has not ottered to take me away with 
him, and I fear some that were married, too — ” 

“ Ay, I ’ll warrant that ! ” interrupted the other ; “ I ’ll war- 
rant all that ! Take ’em as a body, Judith, ’arth don’t hold a 
set of men more given to theirselves, and less given to God and 
the law.” 

“Not one of them would I — coidd I listen to; happily for 
myself, perhaps, has it been that such was the case. There 
have been well-looking youths among them, too, as you may 
have seen in your acquaintance Henry March.” 

“Yes, Harry is sightly to the eye, though, to my idees, less 
so to the judgment. I thought, at first, you meant to have him, 
J udith, I did ; but, afore he went, it was easy enough to verify 
that the same lodge wouldn’t be big enough for you both.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


461 


“You have done me justice in that, at least, Deerslayer. 
Hurry is a man I could never marry, though he were ten times 
more comely to the eye, and a hundred times more stout of 
heart than he really is.” 

“Why not, Judith — why not? I own I’m cur’ous to know 
,1 why a youth like Hurry should n’t find favor with a maiden like 
you.” 

“ Then you shall know, Deerslayer,” returned the girl, gladly 
availing herself of the opportunity of extolling the qualities 
which had so strongly interested her in her listener ; hoping 
by these means covertly to approach the subject nearest her 
heart. “In the first place, looks in a man are of no impor- 
tance with a woman, provided he is manly, and not disfigured or 
deformed.” 

“ There I can’t altogether agree with you,” returned the 
other, thoughtfully, for he had a very humble opinion of his 
own personal appearance ; “I have noticed that the comeliest 
warriors commonly get the best-looking maidens of the tribe for 
wives ; and the Sarpent, yonder, who is sometimes wonderful in 
his paint, is a gin’ral favorite with all the Delaware young women, 
though he takes to Hist, himself, as if she was the only beauty 
on ’arth.” 

“ It may be so with Indians, but it is different with white 
girls. So long as a young man has a straight and manly frame, 
that promises to make him able to protect a woman, and to 
keep want from the door, it is all they ask of the figure. Giants 
like Hurry may do for grenadiers, but are of little account as 
lovers. Then as to the face, an honest look, one that answers 
for the heart within, is of more value than any shape, or color, or 
eyes, or teeth, or trifies like them. The last may do for girls, 
but who thinks of them at all, in a hunter, or a warrior, or a hus- 
band ! If there are women so silly, Judith ’s not among them.” 

“Well, this is wonderful ! I always thought that handsome 
liked handsome, as riches love riches ! ” 


462 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ It may be so with you men, Deerslayer, but it is not 
always so with us women. We like stout-hearted men, but we 
wish to see them modest ; sure on a hunt, or the war-path, 
ready to die for the right, and unwilling to yield to the wrong. 
Above all, we wish for honesty — tongues that are not used to 
say what the mind does not mean, and hearts that feel a little 
for others as well as for themselves. A true-hearted girl could 
die for such a husband ! while the boaster, and the double- 
tongued suitor, gets to be as hateful to the sight as he is to the 
mind.” 

Judith spoke bitterly, and with her usual force, but her lis- 
tener was too much struck with the novelty of the sensations he 
experienced to advert to her manner. There was something so 
soothing to the humility of a man of his temperament, to hear 
qualities that he could not but know he possessed himself, thus 
highly extolled by the loveliest female he had ever beheld, that, 
for the moment, his faculties seemed suspended in a natural and 
excusable pride. Then it was that the idea of the possibility of 
such a creature as Judith becoming his companion for life, first 
crossed his mind. The image was so pleasant, and so novel, 
that he continued completely absorbed by it, for more than 
a minute, totally regardless of the beautiful reality that was 
seated before him, watching the expression of his upright and 
truth-telling countenance with a keenness that gave her a very 
fair, if not an absolutely accurate clue to his thoughts. Never 
before had so pleasing a vision floated before the mind’s eye of 
the young hunter ; but, accustomed most to practical things, and 
little addicted to submitting to the power of his imagination, 
even while possessed of so much true poetical feeling in connec- 
tion with natural objects in particular, he soon recovered his 
reason, and smiled at his own weakness, as the fancied picture 
faded from his mental sight, and left him the simple, untaught, 
but highly moral being he was, seated in tlie ark of Thomas 
Hutter, at midnight, with the lovely countenance of its late 


THE DEE RSL AYER 463 

owner’s reputed daughter beaming on him with anxious scrutiny, 
by the light of the solitary lamp. 

“ You ’re wonderful handsome, and enticing, and pleasing 
to look on, Judith!” he exclaimed, in his simplicity, as fact 
resumed its ascendency over fancy. “ Wonderful ! I don’t 
remember ever to have seen so beautiful a gal, even among the 
Delawares ; and I ’m not astonished that Huny Hariy went 
away soured as well as disapp’inted ! ” 

Would you have had me, Deerslayer, become the wife of 
such a man as Henry March ? ” 

“ There ’s that which is in his favor, and there ’s that which 
is ag’in him. To my taste. Hurry would n’t make the best of 
husbands, but I fear that the tastes of most young women here- 
away, would n’t be so hard upon him.” 

“ No — no — Judith without a name, would never consent to 
be called Judith March ! Anything would be better than that I 
“Judith Bumppo wouldn’t sound as well, gal; and there’s 
many names that would fall short of Mandi, in pleasing the 
, ear.” 

“Ah ! Deerslayer, the pleasantness of the sound, in such 
cases, does not come through the ear, but through the heart. 
Everything is agreeable when the heart is satisfied. Were Natty 
Bumppo Henry March, and Henry March Natty Bumppo, I 
might think the name of March better than it is ; or were he 
you, I should fancy the name of Bumppo horrible ! ” 

“ That ’s just it — yes, that ’s the reason of the matter. Now, 

' I ’m nat’rally avarse to sarpents, and I hate even the word, 

, which, the missionaries tell me, comes from human natur’, 

I on account of a sartain sarpent at the creation of the ’arth, that 
! outwitted the first woman ; yet, ever since Chingachgook has 
I’arned the title he bears, why the sound is as pleasant to 
';my ears as the whistle of the whippoorwill of a calm evening 
‘ — it is. The feelin’s make all the difference in the world, Ju- 
dith, in the natur’ of sounds ; ay, even in that of looks too.” 


m 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ This is so true, Deerslayer, that 1 am surprised you should 
think it remarkable a girl, who may have some comeliness her- 
self, should not think it necessary that her husband should 
have the same advantage, or what you fancy an advantage. 
To me, looks in a man is nothing provided his countenance be 
as honest as his heart.” 

“Yes, honesty is a great advantage, in the long run ; and 
they that are the most apt to forget it in the beginning, are the 
most apt to Tarn it in the ind. Nevertheless, there’s more, 
Judith, that look to present profit than to the benefit that is 
to come after a time. One they think a sartainty, and the 
other an onsartainty. I ’m glad, howsever, that you look at the 
thing in its true light, and not in the w^ay in which so many 
is apt to deceive themselves.” 

“I do thus look at it, Deerslayer,” returned the girl with 
emphasis, still shrinking with a woman’s sensitiveness from a 
direct offer of her hand, “ and can say, from the bottom of my 
heart, that I would rather trust my happiness to a man whose 
truth and feelings may be depended on, than to a false-tongued 
and false-hearted wretch that had chests of gold, and houses and 
lands — yes, though he were even seated on a throne ! ” 

“These are brave words, Judith; they’re downright brave 
words ; but do you think that the feelin’s would keep ’em com- 
pany, did the ch’ice actually lie afore you ? If a gay gallant in 
a scarlet coat stood on one side, with his head smelling like a 
deer’s foot, his face smooth and blooming as your own, his 
hands as white and soft as if G-od hadn’t bestowed ’em that 
man might live by the sweat of his brosv, and his step as lofty 
as dancing-teachers and a light heart could make it ; and the 
other side stood one that has passed his days in the open air 
till his forehead is as red as his cheek ; had cut his way through 
swamps and bushes till his hand was as rugged as the oaks he 
slept under ; had trodden on the scent of game till his step was 
as stealthy as the catamount’s, and had no other pleasant odor 


THE HEEUSLAYER 


465 


about him than such as natnr’ gives in the free air and the 
forest — now, if both these men stood here, as suitors for your 
feelin’s, which do you think would win your favor 1 ” 

Judith’s fine face flushed; for the picture that her com- 
panion had so simply drawn of a gay officer of the garrisons 
had once been particularly grateful to her imagination, though 
experience and disappointment had not only chilled all her 
aftections, but given them a backward current, and the passing 
image had a momentary influence on her feelings; but the 
mounting color was succeeded by a paleness so deadly as to 
make her appear ghastly. 

“As God is my judge,” the girl solemnly answered, “did 
both these men stand before me, as I may say one of them does, 
my choice, if I know my own heart, would be the latter. I 
have no wish for a husband who is any way better than myself” 

“ This is pleasant to listen to, and might lead a young man, 
in time, to forget his own onwofthiness, Judith ! Howsever, 
you hardly think all that you say. A man like me is too rude 
and ignorant for one that has had such a mother to teach her ; 
vanity is nat’ral, I do believe ; but vanity like that would sur- 
pass reason ! ” 

“ Then you do not know of what a woman’s heart is capable ! 
Rude you are not, Deerslayer I nor can one be called igno- 
rant that has studied what is before his eyes as closely as you 
have done. When the affections are concerned, all things 
appear in their pleasantest colors, and trifles are overlooked, or 
are forgotten. When the heart feels a sunshine, nothing is 
gloomy, even dull-looking objects seeming gay and bright ; and 
so it would be between you and the woman who should love 
you, even though your wife might happen, in some matters, to 
possess what the world calls the advantage over you.” 

“Judith, you come of people altogether above mine, in the 
world ; and onequal matches, like onequal fri’ndships, can’t 
often tarminate kindly. I speak of this matter altogether as 
2h 


466 


THE DEERSLAYER 


a fanciful thing, since it ’s not very likely that you^ at least, ' 
would be able to treat it as a matter that can ever come to- 
pass.” 

Judith fastened her deep blue eyes on the open, frank 
countenance of her companion, as if she would read his soul. 
Nothing there betrayed any covert meaning, and she was 
obliged to admit to herself that he regarded the eonversation 
as argumentative, rather than positive, and that he was still | 
without any active suspicion that her feelings were seriously j 
involved in the issue. At first she felt offended ; then she saw I 
the injustice of making the self-abasement and modesty of the! 
hunter a charge against him; and this novel difficulty gave a 
piquancy to the state of affairs that rather increased her inter- 
est in the young man. At that critical instant, a change ofi 
plan flashed on her mind, and with a readiness of invention^' 
that is peculiar to the quick-witted and ingenious, she adopted 
a scheme by which she hoped effectually to bind him to her 
person. This scheme partook equally of her fertility of inven-^ 
tion, and of the decision and boldness of her character. That 
the conversation might not terminate too abruptly, however, or 
any suspicion of her design exist, she answered the last remaik 
of Deerslayer as earnestly and as truly as if her original inten- 
tion remained unaltered. I 

“ I, certainly, have no reason to boast of parentage, after 
what I have seen this night,” said the girl, in a saddened voice. 
“I had a mother, it is true; but of her name, even, I am igno- 
rant ; and as for my father, it is better, perhaps, that I should 
never know who he was, lest I speak too bitterly of him ! ” 

“Judith,” said Deerslayer, taking her hand kindly, and with 
a manly sincerity that went directly to the girl’s heart, “ ’t is 
better to say no more to-night. Sleep on what you’ve seen 
and felt ; in the morning, things that now look gloomy may 
look more cheerful. Above all, never do anything in bitterness, 
or because you feel as if you ’d like to take revenge on yourself 


THE DEERSLAYER 


467 


for other people’s backslidings. All that has been said or done 
atween us, this night, is your secret, and shall never be talked 
of by me, even with the Sarpent ; and you may be sartain if he 
can’t get it out of me, no man can. If your parents have been 
faulty, let the darter be less so ; remember that you ’re young, 
and the youthful may always hope for better times ; that 
you’re more quick-witted than usual, and such gin’rally get 
the better of difficulties ; and that as for beauty, you ’re oncom- 
mon ; this is an advantage with all. It is time to get a little 
rest, for to-morrow is like to prove a trying day to some of us.” 

Deerslayer arose as he spoke, and Judith had no choice but 
to comply. The chest was closed and secured, and they parted 
in silence ; she to take her place by the side of Hist and Hetty, 
and he to seek a blanket on the floor of the cabin he was in. 
It was not five minutes ere the young man was in a deep sleep ; 
but the girl continued awake for a long time. She scarce knew 
whether to lament, or to rejoice, at having failed in making 
herself understood. On the one hand, were her womanly sen- 
sibilities spared ; on the other, was the disappointment of 
defeated, or at least of delayed expectations, and the uncer- 
tainty of a future that looked so dark. Then came the new 
resolution and the bold project for the morrow ; and when 
drowsiness finally shut her eyes, they closed on a scene of suc- 
cess and happiness, that was pictured by the fancy, under the 
influence of a sanguine temperament and a happy invention. 


468 


THE HEERSLAYER 


CHAPTER XXV 

“ But, mother, now a shade has passed 
Athwart my brightest visions here, 

A cloud of darkest gloom has wrapped 
The remnant of my brief career ; 

No song, no echo can I win ; 

The sparkling fount has dried within.” 

Margaret Davidson. 

Hist and Hetty arose with the return of light, leaving 
Judith still buried in sleep. It took but a minute for the 
first to complete her toilet. Her long coal-black hair was soon 
adjusted in a simple knot, the calico dress belted tight to her 
slender waist, and her little feet concealed in their gaudily 
ornamented moccasins. When attired, she left her companion 
employed in household affairs, and went herself on the plat- 
form, to breathe the pure air of the morning. Here she found 
Chingachgook studying the shores of the lake, the mountains, 
and the heavens, with the sagacity of a man of the woods and 
the gravity of an Indian. 

The meeting between the two lovers was simple but affec- 
tionate. The chief showed a manly kindness, equally removed 
from boyish weakness and haste ; while the girl betrayed in 
her smile and half-averted looks, the bashful tenderness of her 
sex. Neither spoke, unless it were with the eyes, though 
each understood the other as fully as if a vocabulary of words 
and protestations had been poured out. Hist seldom appeared 
to more advantage than at that moment; for, just from her 
rest and ablutions, there was a freshness about her youthful 
form and face, that the toils of the wood do not always permit 
to be exhibited by even the juvenile and pretty. Then Judith 
had not only imparted some of her own skill in the toilet, 
during their short intercourse, but she had actually bestowed 
a few well-selected ornaments from her own stores, that coii- 


THE DEERSLAYER 


469 


tributed not a little to set ott' the natural graces of the Indian 
maid. All this the lover saw and felt, and for a moment his 
countenance was illuminated with a look of pleasure; but it 
soon grew grave again, and became saddened and anxious. The 
stools used the previous night were still standing on the plat- 
form ; placing two against the walls of the hut, he seated him- 
self on one, making a gesture to his companion to take the 
other. This done, he continued thoughtful and silent for quite 
a minute, maintaining the reflecting dignity of one born to take 
his seat at the council-flre, while Hist was furtively watching 
the expression of his face, patient and submissive, as became a 
woman of her people. Then the young warrior stretched his 
arm before him, as if to point out the glories of the scene at 
that witching hour, when the whole panorama, as usual, was 
adorned by the mellow distinctness of early morning, sweeping 
with his hand slowly over lake, hills, and heavens. The girl 
followed the movement with pleased wonder, smiling as each 
new beauty met her gaze. 

“ Hugh ! ” exclaimed the chief, in admiration of a scene so 
unusual even to him, for this was the flrst lake he had ever 
beheld. “ This is the country of the Manitou ! It is too good 
for Mingos, Hist; but the curs of that tribe are howling in 
packs through the woods. They think that the Delawares are 
asleep, over the mountains.” 

“ All but one of them is, Chingachgook. There is one here ; 
and he is of the blood of Uncas ! ” 

“What is one warrior against a tribe? The path to our 
villages is very long and crooked, and we shall travel it under 
a cloudy sky. I am afraid, too, Honeysuckle of the Hills, that 
we shall travel it alone ! ” 

Hist understood the allusion, and it made her sad ; though it 
sounded sweet to her ears to be compared, by the warrior she 
so loved, to the most fragrant and the pleasantest of all the 
wild flowers of her native woods. Still she continued silent, as 


470 


TH?: DEERSLAYER 


became her when tlie allusion was to a grave interest that men 
could best control, though it exceeded the power of education 
to conceal the smile that gratified feeling brought to her pretty 
mouth. 

“ When the sun is thus,” continued the Delaware, pointing 
to the zenith, by simply casting upward a hand and finger, by 
a play of the wrist, “the great hunter of our tribe will go back 
to the Hurons to be treated like a bear, that they roast and 
skin even on full stomachs.” 

“ The Great Spirit may soften their hearts, and not suffer them 
to be so bloody-minded. I have lived among the Hurons, and 
know them. They have hearts, and will not forget their own 
children, should they fall into the hands of the Delawares.” 

“ A wolf is forever howling ; a hog will always eat. They 
have lost warriors ; even their women will call out for vengeance. 
The pale-face has the eyes of an eagle, and can see into a Mingo’s 
heart ; he looks for no mercy. There is a cloud over his spirit, 
though it is not before his face.” 

A long, thoughtful pause succeeded, during which Hist 
stealthily took the hand of the chief, as if seeking his support, 
though she scarce ventured to raise her eyes to a countenance 
that was now literally becoming terrible, under the conflicting 
passions and stern resolution that were struggling in the breast 
of its owner. 

“What will the son of Uncas do?” the girl at length timidly 
asked. “He is a chief, and is already celebrated in council, 
though so young ; what does his heart tell him is wisest ? does 
the head, too, speak the same words as the heart ? ” 

“ What does Wah-ta-Wah say, at a moment when my dearest 
friend is in danger? The smallest birds sing the sweetest; it 
is always pleasant to hearken to their songs. I wish I could 
hear the Wren of the Woods in my difficulty; its note would 
reach deeper than the ear.” 

Again Hist experienced the profound gratification that the 


THE DEERSLAYER 


471 


language of praise can always awaken, when uttered by those 
we love. The “ Honeysuckle of the Hills ” was a term often 
applied to the girl, by the young men of the Delawares, though 
it never sounded so sweet in her ears as from the lips of Chin- 
gachgook; but the latter alone had ever styled her the Wren 
of the Woods. With him, however, it had got to be a familiar 
phrase, and it was past expression pleasant to the listener, 
since it conveyed to her mind the idea that her advice and 
sentiments were as acceptable to her future husband, as the 
tones of her voice and modes of conveying them were agreeable ; 
uniting the two things most prized by an Indian girl, as coming 
from her betrothed, admiration for a valued physical advantage, 
with respect for her opinion. She pressed the hand she held 
between both her own, and answered, — 

“ Wah-ta-Wah says that neither she nor the Great Serpent 
could ever laugh again, or ever sleep without dreaming of the 
Hurons, should the Deerslayer die under a Mingo tomahawk, 
and they do nothing to save him. She would rather go back, 
and start on her long path alone, than let such a dark cloud 
pass before her happiness.” 

“ Good ! The husband and the wife will have but one heart ; 
they will see with the same eyes, and feel with the same 
feelings.” 

What further was said need not be related here. That the 
conversation wms of Deerslayer, and his hopes, has been seen 
already, but the decision that was come to, will better appear 
in the course of the narrative. The youthful pair were yet 
conversing when the sun appeared above the tops of the pines, 
and the light of a brilliant American day streamed down into 
the valley, bathing “ in deep joy” the lake, the forests, and the 
mountain sides. Just at this instant Deerslayer came out of 
the cabin of the ark, and stepped upon the platform. His first 
look was at the cloudless heavens, then his rapid glance took 
in the entire panorama of land and water, when he had leis^ 


472 


THE DEERSLAYER 


ure for a friendly nod at his friends, and a cheerful smile for 
Hist. 

“ Well,” he said, in his usual composed manner, and pleas- 
ant voice ; “he that sees the sun set in the west, and wakes ’arly 
enough in the morning, will be sartain to find him coming back 
ag’in in the east, like a buck that is hunted round his ha’nts. 
I dare say, now, Hist, you ’ve beheld this, time and ag’in, and 
yet it never entered into your galish mind to ask the reason ? ” 

Both Chingachgook and his betrothed looked up at the 
luminary with an air that betokened sudden wonder, and then 
they gazed at each other, as if to seek the solution of the diffi- 
culty. Familiarity deadens the sensibilities, even as connected 
with the gravest natural phenomena ; and never before had these 
simple beings thought of inquiring into a movement that was of 
daily occurrence, however puzzling it might apj)ear on investiga- 
tion. When the subject was thus suddenly started, it struck 
both alike, and at the same instant, with some such force, as 
any new and brilliant proposition in the natural sciences would 
strike the scholar. Chingachgook alone saw fit to answer. 

“ The pale-faces know everything,” he said ; “ can they tell 
us why the sun hides his face, and then goes back, at night 1 ” 

“ Ay, that is downright redskin I’aniin’,” returned the other, 
laughing, though he was not altogether insensible to the pleas- 
ure of proving the superiority of his race by solving the diffi- 
culty, which he set about doing in his own peculiar manner. 
“ Harkee, Sarpent,” he continued more gravely, though too 
simply for affectation ; “ this is easierly explained than an Indian 
brain may fiincy. The sun, while he seems to keep travelling 
in the heavens, never budges, but it is the ’arth that turns 
round ; and any one can understand, if he is placed on the side 
of a mill-wiieel, for instance, when it ’s in motion, that he must 
sometimes see the lieavens, while he is at other times under 
water. There ’s no great secret in that, but plain natur’ ; the 
difficulty being in setting the ’arth in motion.” 


THE DEERSLA YER 473 

“ How does my brother know that the earth turns round ? ” 
demanded the Indian. “ Can he see it? ” 

“Well, that’s been a puzzler, I will own, Delaware; for 
I ’ve often tried, but never could fairly make it out. Some- 
times I ’ve consaited that I could ; and then ag’in, I ’ve been 
obliged to own it an onpossibility. Howsever, turn it does, as 
all my people say, and you ought to believe ’em, since they can 
foretell eclipses, and other prodigies, that used to fill the tribes 
with terror, according to your own traditions of such things.” 

“ Good ! This is true ; no redman will deny it. When a 
wheel turns, my eyes can see it ; they do not see the earth 
turn.” 

“ Ay, that ’s what I call sense-obstinacy ! Seeing is believ- 
ing, they say ; and what they can’t see, some men won’t in the 
least give credit to. Nevertheless, chief, that is n’t quite as 
good reason as it may at first seem. You believe in the Great 
Spirit, I know ; and yet, I conclude, it would puzzle you to 
show where you see him ! ” 

“ Chingachgook can see him everywhere — everywhere in 
good things — the Evil Spirit in had. Here, in the lake ; 
there, in the forest ; yonder, in the clouds ; in Hist, in the son of 
Uncas, in Tamenund, in Deerslayer. The Evil Spirit is in the 
Mingos. That I know ; I do not see the earth turn round.” 

“ I don’t wonder they call you the Sarpent, Delaware ; no, 
I don’t ! There ’s always a meaning in your words, and there’s 
often a meaning in your countenance, too ! Notwithstanding, 
your answers does n’t quite meet my idee. That God is obsarva- 
ble in all nat’ral objects is allowable ; but then he is not par- 
ceptible in the way I mean. You know there is a Great Spirit, 
by his works, and the pale-faces know that the ’arth turns 
round by its works. This is the reason of the matter, though 
how it is to be explained, is more than I can exactly tell you. 
This I know ; all my people consait that fact ; and what all 
the pale-faces consait, is very likely to be true.” 


474 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ When the sun is in the top of that pine to-morrow, where 
will my brother Deerslayer be ? ” 

The hunter started, and he looked intently, though totally 
without alarm, at his friend. Then he signed for him to fol- 
low, and led the way into the ark, where he might pursue the 
subject unheard by those whose feelings he feared might get 
the mastery over their reason. Here he stopped, and pursued 
the conversation in a more confidential tone. 

“ ’T was a little onreasonable in you, Sarpent,” he said, “ to 
bring up such a subject afore Hist, and when the young woman 
of my own color might overhear what was said. Yes, ’t was a 
little more onreasonable than most things that you do. No 
matter; Hist didn’t comprehend, and the other “did n’t hear. 
Howsever, the question is easier put than answered. No mor- 
tal can say where he will be when the sun rises to-morrow. I 
will ask you the same question, Sarpent, and should like to 
hear what answer you can give.” 

“ Chingachgook will be with his friend, Deerslayer ; if he be 
in the land of spirits, the Great Serpent will crawl at his side, 
if beneath yonder sun, its warmth and light shall fall on both.” 

“ I understand you, Delaware,” returned the other, touched 
with the simple self-devotion of his friend. “ Such language is 
as plain in one tongue as in another ; it comes from the heart, 
and goes to the heart, too. ’T is well to think so, and it may 
be well to say so, for that matter, but it would not be well to 
do so, Sarpent. You are no longer alone in life ; for, though 
you have the lodges to change, and other ceremonies to go 
through, afore Hist becomes your lawful wife, yet are you as 
good as married, in all that bears on tlie feelin’s, and joy, and 
misery. No, no ; Hist must not be desarted, because a cloud 
is passing atween you and me, a little onexpectedly, and a little 
darker than we may have looked for.” 

“ Hist is a daughter of the Mohicans ; she knows how to 
obey her husband. Where he goes she will follow. Both will 


THE DEERSLAYER 475 

be with the Great Hunter of the Delawares, when the sun shall 
be in the pine to-morrow.” 

“ The Lord bless and protect you ! Chief, this is downright 
madness. Can either or both of you alter a Mingo natur’ ? 
Will your grand looks or Hist’s tears and beauty, change a 
wolf into a squirrel, or make a catamount as innocent as a 
fa’an ! No, Sarpent, you will think better of this matter, and 
leave me in the hands of God. A’ter all, it ’s by no means 
sartain that the scamps design the torments, for they may yet 
be pitiful, and bethink them of the wickedness of such a course ; 
though it is but a hopeless expectation to look forward to a Mingo’s 
turning aside from evil, and letting marcy get uppermost in his 
heart. Nevertheless, no one knows to a sartainty what will 
happen j and young creatur’s, like Hist, are n’t to be risked on 
unsartainties. This marrying is altogether a different under- 
taking from what some young men fancy. Now, if you was 
single, or as good as single, Delaware, I should expect you to 
be active and stirring about the camp of the vagabonds, from 
sunrise to sunset, sarcumventing, and contriving, as restless as 
a hound off the scent, and doing all manner of things to help 
me, and to distract the iniiny ; but two are often feebler than 
one, and we must take things as they are, and not as we want 
’em to be.” 

“ Listen, Deerslayer,” returned the Indian, with an emphasis 
so decided, as to show how much he was in earnest. “ If Chin- 
gachgook was in the hands of the Hurons, what would my pale- 
face brother do ? Sneak off to the Delaware villages, and say 
to the chiefs, and old men, and young warriors, — ‘ See ! here 
is Wah-ta-Wah ; she is safe, but a little tired ; and here is the 
Son of Uncas, not as tired as the Honeysuckle, being stronger, 
but just as safe.’ Would he do this 

“Well, that’s oncommon ingen’ous ; it’s cunning enough for 
a Mingo himself. The Lord only knows what put it into your 
head to ask such a question. What would I do? Why, in the 


476 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


first place, Hist would n’t be likely to be in my company at all, 
for she would stay as near you as possible, and therefore all that 
part about her could n’t be said without talking nonsense. As 
for her being tired, that would fall through too, if she did n’t go, 
and no part of your speech would be likely to come from me : 
so, you see, Sarpent,* reason is ag’in you, and you may as well 
give it up, since to hold out ag’in reason is no way becoming a 
chief of your character and repitation.” 

“ My brother is not himself ; he forgets that he is talking to 
one who has sat at the council-fires of his nation,” returned the 
other, kindly. “ When men speak, they should say that which 
does not go in at one side of the head, and out at the other. 
Their words should n’t be feathers, so light that a wind, wiiich 
does not ruffle the w^ater, can blow them away. He has not 
answered my question ; wiien a chief puts a question, his friend 
should not talk of other things.” 

“ I understand you, Delaware ; I understand well enough 
wiiat you mean, and truth won’t allow me to say otherwise. 
Still, it ’s not as easy to answer as you seem to think, for this 
plain reason. You wish me to say what I would do if I had a 
betrothed, as you have, here, on the lake, and a fii’nd yonder, 
in the Huron camp, in danger of the torments. That’s it, 
is n’t it % ” 

The Indian bowred his head silently, and always with un- 
moved gravity, though his eye twinkled at the sight of the 
other’s embarrassment. 

“ Well, I never had a betrothed ; never had the kind of feel- 
in’s towards any young woman that you have tow'ards Hist ; 
though the Lord know's my feelin’s kind enough towards ’em 
all ! Still, my heart, as they call it, in such matters is n’t 
touched, and therefore I can’t say what I would do. A fri’nd 
pulls strong ; that I know by exper’ence, Sarpent ; but, by all 
that I ’ve seen and heard consarning love, I ’m led to think that 
a betrothed pulls stronger.” 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


477 


“ True ; but the betrothed of Chingachgook does not pull 
towards the lodges of the Delawares ; she pulls towards the 
camp of the Hurons.” 

“ She ’s a noble gal, for all her little feet and hands that ain’t 
bigger than a child’s, and a voice that ’s as pleasant as a 
mocker’s : she ’s a noble gal, and like tlie stock of her sires ! 
Well, what is it, Sarpent? for 1 conclude she hasn’t changed 
lier mind and means to give herself up, and turn Huron wife. 
What is it you want ? ” 

“ Wah-ta-Wah will never live in the wigwam of an Iroquois,®” 
answered the Delaware, dryly. “ She has little feet, but they 
can carry her to the villages of her people ; she has small hands, 
too, but her mind is large. My brother will see what we can 
do, when the time shall come, rather than let him die under 
Mingo torments.” 

“ Attempt nothing heedlessly, Delaware,” said the other, ear- 
nestly ; “ I suppose you must and will have your way ; and, on 
the whole, it ’s right you should ; for you ’d neither be happy 
unless something was undertaken. But attempt nothing heed- 
lessly. I did n’t expect you ’d quit the lake while my matter 
remained in unsartainty ; but remember, Sarpent, that no tor- 
ments that Mingo ingenuity can invent, no ta’ntings and revil- 
ings, no burnings and roastings and nail-tearings, nor any other 
onhuman contrivance, can so soon break down my spirit, as to 
find that you and Hist have fallen into the power of the inimy, 
in striving to do something for my good.” 

“ The Delawares are prudent. The Deerslayer will not find 
them running into a strange camp with their eyes shut.” 

Here the dialogue terminated. Hetty announced that the 
breakfast was ready, and the whole party were soon seated 
around the simple board, in the usual primitive manner of bor- 
derers. Judith was the last to take her seat, pale, silent, and 
betraying in her countenance that she had passed a painful if 
not a sleepless night. At this meal scarce a syllable was ex- 


478 


THE BEE RSL AYER 


changed, all the females manifesting want of appetite, though 
the two men were unchanged in this particular. It was early 
when the party arose, and there still remained several hours 
before it would be necessary for the prisoner to leave his friends. 
The knowledge of this circumstance, and the interest all felt in 
his welfare, induced the whole party to assemble on the plat- 
form again, in the desire to be near the expected victim, to lis- 
ten to his discourse, and, if possible, to show their interest in 
him by anticipating his wishes. Deerslayer himself, so far as 
human eyes could penetrate, was wholly unmoved, conversing 
cheerfully anrl naturally, though he avoided any direct allusion 
to the expected and great event of the day. If any evidence 
could be discovered of his thoughts reverting to that painful 
subject at all, it was in the manner in which he spoke of death 
and the last great change. 

“ Grieve not, Hetty,” he said ; for it was while consoling this 
simple-minded girl for the loss of her parents that he thus be- 
trayed his feelings ; “ since God has app’inted that all must die. 
Your parents, or them you fancied your parents, which is the 
same thing, have gone afore you ; this is only in the order of 
natur’, my good gal, for the aged go first, and the young follow. 
But one that had a mother like your’n, Hetty, can be at no loss 
to hope the best, as to how matters will turn out in another 
world. The Delaware here, and Hist, believe in happy hunt- 
ing-grounds, and have idees befitting their notions and gifts as 
redskins ; but we, who are of white blood, hold together to a 
different doctrine. Still, I rather conclude our heaven is their 
land of spirits, and that the })ath which leads to it will be 
travelled by all colors alike. ’T is impossible for the wicked to 
enter on it, I will allow ; but fri’nds can scarce be separated, 
though they are not of the same race on ’arth. Keep up your 
spirits, poor Hetty, and look forward to the day when you 
will meet your mother ag’in, and that without pain or sorrow- 
ing.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


479 


“ I do expect to see mother,” returned the truth- telling and 
simple girl, “ but what will become of father ? ” 

“ That ’s a non-plusser, Delaware,” said the hunter in the 
Indian dialect ; “ yes, that is a downright non-plusser ! The 
Muskrat was not a saint on ’arth, and it’s fair to guess he’ll 
not be much of one hereafter ! Howsever, Hetty,” — dropping 
into the English by an easy transition, — “ howsever, Hetty, we 
must all hope for the best. That is wisest, and it is much the 
easiest to the mind, if one can only do it. I ricommend to you 
trusting to God, and putting down all misgivings and faint- 
hearted feelin’s. It ’s wonderful, Judith, how different people 
have different notions about the futur’, some fancying one change 
and some fancying another. I ’ve known white teachers that 
have thought all was spirit hereafter; and them, ag’in, that 
believe the body will be transported to another world, much as 
the redskins themselves imagine, and that we shall walk about 
in the flesh and know each other, and talk together, and be 
fiTiids there as we ’ve been fri’nds here.” 

“ Which of these opinions is most pleasing to you, Deer- 
slayer ? ” asked the girl, Avilling to indulge his melancholy mood, 
and far from being free from its influence herself. “ Would it 
be disagreeable to think that you should meet all who are now 
on this platform in another world ? Or have you known enough 
of us here, to be glad to see us no more ? ” 

“ The last would make death a bitter portion ; yes, it would. 
It ’s eight good years since the Sarpent and I began to hunt 
together, and the thought that we were never to meet ag’in 
would be a hard thought to me. He looks forward to the time 
when he shall chase a sort of spirit-deer, in company, on plains 
where there ’s no thorns, or brambles, or marshes, or other hard- 
ships to overcome ; whereas, I can’t fall into all these notions, 
seeing that they appear to be ag’in reason. Spirits can’t eat, 
nor have they any use for clothes ; and deer can only rightfully 
be chased to be slain, or slain, imless it be for the venison or the 


480 


THE DEEliSLAYER 


hides. Now I find it hard to suppose that blessed spirits can I 
be put to chasing game without an object, tormenting the dumb l 
animals just for the pleasure and agreeableness of their own I 
amusements. I never yet pulled a trigger on buck or doe, ^ ' 
Judith, onless when food or clothes was wanting.” 

“ The recollection of which, Deerslayer, must now be a great ) 
consolation to you.” 1 

“ It is the thought of such things, my fri’nds, that enables a i 
man to keep his furlough. It might be done without it, I own ; f 
for the worst redskins sometimes do their duty in this matter ; i 
but it makes that which might otherwise be hard, easy, if not ' i 
altogether to our liking. Nothing truly makes a bolder heart i 
than a light conscience.” 1 

Judith turned paler than ever, but she struggled for self- ■ i 
command and succeeded in obtaining it. The confiict had been ' i 
severe, however, and it left her so little disposed to speak, that : i 
Hetty pursued the subject. This was done in the simple 
manner natural to the girl. ! 

“It would be cruel to kill the poor deer,” she said, “in this 
world or any other, when you don’t want their venison or their 
skins. No good white man and no good redman would do it. 
But it ’s wicked for a Christian to talk about chasing anything 
in heaven. Such things are not done before the face of God, 
and the missionary that teaches these doctrines can’t be a true 
missionary. He must be a wolf in slieep’s clothing. I suppose 
you know what a sheep is, Deerslayer ? ” 

“ That I do, gal ; and a useful creature it> is to such as like 
cloths better than skins for winter garments. I understand the 
natur’ of sheep, though I ’ve had but little to do with ’em ; 
and the natur’ of wolves too, and can take the idee of a wolf 
in the fleece of a sheep, though I tliink it would be likely to 
prove a hot jacket foi such a beast in the warm months.” 

“ And sin and hypocrisy are hot jackets, as they will find 
who put them on, “ returned Hetty, positively ; “so the wolf 


THE DEEHSLAYER * 


481 


! would be no worse off than the sinner. Spirits don’t hunt, nor 
;■ trap, nor fish, nor do anything that vain men undertake, since 
^ tr.ey ’ve none of the longings of this world to feed. 0 ! mother 
I told me all that years ago, and I did n’t wish to hear it denied.” 

“ Well, my good Hetty, in that case you ’d better not broach 
^ your doctrine to Hist when she and you are alone, and the young 
Delaw'are maiden is inclined to talk religion. It ’s her fixed 

- idee, I know, that the good warriors do notliing but hunt and 
r fish in the other world ; though I don’t believe that she fancies 

any of them are brought down to trapping, which is no empl’y- 

- ment for a brave. But of hunting and fishing, accordin’ to her 
L notion, they ’ve their fill, and that, too, over the most agreea- 
^ blest hunting-grounds, and among game that is never out of 

I season, and which is just active and instinctive enough to give 
: a pleasure to death. So I would n’t recommend it to you to 
start Hist on that idee.” 

“ Hist can’t be so wicked as to believe any such thing,” re- 
turned the other earnestly. “No Indian hunts after he is dead.” 

“ No wicked Indian, I grant you ; no wicked Indian sartainly. 
He is obliged to carry the ammunition, and to look on without 
' sharing in the sport, and to cook, and to light the fires, and to 
■ do everything that isn’t manful. Now mind, I don’t tell you 
f these are my idees, but they are Hist’s id^'es, and tlierefore, for 
I the sake of peace, the less you say to her ng’iii ’em, the better.” 

“And what are your ideas of the f;:.. of an Indian the 
other world?” demanded Judith, vl; lied' just found lier voice. 

“Ah! gal, aiiytliing but tuat ! I am too ChristinijJz i to 
expect anything so fanciful as hunting and fisliing after death ; 
nor do I believ e there is one Manitou for tlie > ■ dskin, and an- 
other for a pale-face. You find different colors on ’artli, as any 
one may see, but you don’t find different natur’s. Different 
gifts, but only one natur’.” 

“In what is a gift afferent from a nature? Is not nature 
itself a gift from God ? ” 

2i • 


482 


• THE DEERSLAYER 


“ Sartain ; that ’s quick- thoughted and creditable, Judith, 
though the main idee is wrong. A natur’ is the creatur’ itself ; 
its wishes, wants, idees, and feelin’s, as all are born in him. This 
natur’ never can be changed in the main, though it may undergo 
some increase or lessening. Now, gifts come of sarcumstances. 
Thus, if you put a man in a town, he gets town gifts ; in a 
settlement, settlement gifts ; in a forest, gifts of the woods. A 
soldier has soldierly gifts, and a missionary preaching gifts. All 
these increase and strengthen until they get to fortify natur’, as 
it might be, and excuse a thousand acts and idees. Still the 
creatur’ is the same at the bottom ; just as a man who is clad 
in regimentals is the same as the man that is clad in skins. 
The garments make a change to the eye, and some change in 
the conduct perhaps ; but none in the man. Herein lies the 
apology for gifts ; seein’ that you expect ditferent conduct from 
one in silks and satins from one in homespun ; though the Lord, 
who did n’t make the dresses, but who made the creatur’s them- 
selves, looks only at his own work. This is n’t ra’al missionary 
doctrine, but it ’s as near it as a man of white color need be. 
Ah ’s me ! little did I think to be talking of such matters to- 
day, but it ’s one of our weaknesses never to know what will 
come to pass. Step into the ark with me, Judith, for a minute. 
I wish to convarse with you.” 

Judith complied with a willingness she could scarce conceal. 
Following the hunter into the cabin, she took a seat on a stool, 
wliile the young ma.. brought Killdeer, the rifle she had given 
him, out of a corner, and placed himself on another, with the 
weapon laid upon his knees. After turning the piece round and 
round, and examining its lock and its breech with a sort of affec- 
tionate assiduity, he laid it down, and proceeded to the subject 
which had induced him to desire the interview. 

“I understand you, Judith, to say that you gave me this 
rifle,” he said. “ I agreed to take it because a young woman 
can have no particular use for fire-arms. The we’pon has a 


THE DEERS LAYER 


483 


great name, and it desarves it, and ought of right to be carried 
by some known and sure hand, for the best reputation may be 
lost by careless and thoughtless handling.” 

“ Can it be in better hands than those in which it is now, 
Deerslayer ? Thomas Hutter seldom missed with it ; with you 
it must turn out to be — ” 

“ Sartain death ! ” inteiTupted the hunter, laughing. “ I once 
know’d a beaver man that had a piece he called by that very 
name, but ’t was all boastfulness, for I Ve seen Delawares that 
were as true with arrows at a short range. Howsever, I ’ll not 
deny my gifts — for thu is a gift, Judith, and not natur’ — but 
I ’ll not deny my gifts, and therefore allow that the rifle could n’t 
well be in better hands than it is at present. But how long 
will it be likely to remain there ? Atween us, the truth may 
be said, though I should n’t like to have it known to the Sar- 
pent and Hist ; but to you the truth may be spoken, since your 
ieelin’s will not be as likely to be tormented by it as those of 
them that have known me longer and better. How long am I 
like to own this rifle or any other? That is a serious question 
for our thoughts to rest on, and should that happen which is 
so likely to happen, Killdeer would be without an owner.” 

Judith listened with apparent composure, though the conflict 
within came near overpowering her. Appreciating the singular 
character of her companion, however, she succeeded in appear- 
ing calm ; though, had not his attention been drawn exclusively 
to the rifle, a man of his keenness of observation could scarce 
have failed to detect the agony of mind with which the girl 
i had hearkened to his words. Her great self-command, notwith- 
standing, enabled her to pursue the subject in a way still to 
I deceive him. 

I “ What would you have me do with the weapon,” she asked, 
“ should that which you seem to expect, take place ? ” 

“That’s just what I wanted to speak to you about, Judith 
i — that ’s just it. There ’s Chingachgook, now, though far from 


484 


THE DEERSLAYER 


being parfect sartainty with a ritie — for few redskins ever get 
to be that — though far from being parfect sartainty, he is 
respectable, and is coming on. Nevertheless, he is my fri’nd ; 
and all the better fri’nd, perhaps, because there never can be 
any hard feelin’s atween us, touchin’ our gifts ; his’n bein’ red, 
and mine bein’ altogether white. Now, I should like to leave 
Killdeer to the Sarpent, should anything happen to keep me 
from doing credit and honor to your precious gift, Judith.” 

“ Leave it to whom you please, Deerslayer ; the rifle is your 
own, to do with as you please ; Chingachgook shall have it, 
should you never return to claim it, if that be your wish.” 

“ Has Hetty been consulted in this matter 1 Property goes 
from the parent to the children, and not to one child in par- 
tic’lar.” 

“ If you place your right on that law, Deerslayer, I fear none 
of us can claim to be the owner. Thomas Hotter was no more 
the father of Esther, than he was the father of Judith. Judith 
and Esther, we are truly, having no other name.” 

“ There may be a law in that, but there ’s no great reason, 
gal. Accordin’ to the custom of families, the goods are your’n, 
and there ’s no one here to gainsay it. If Hetty would only 
say that she is willing, my mind would be quite at ease in the 
matter. It’s true, Judith, that your sister has neither your 
beauty nor your wit ; but we should be the tenderest of the 
rights and welfare of the most weak-minded.” 

The girl made no answer ; but placing herself at a window, 
she summoned her sister to her side. When the question was 
put to Hetty, her simple-minded and affectionate nature cheer- 
fully assented to the proposal to confer on Deerslayer a full 
right of ownership to the much-coveted rifle. The latter now 
seemed perfectly happy, for the time being, at least ; and after 
again examining and re-examining his prize, he expressed a 
determination to put its merits to a practical test before he left 
the spot. No boy (*.ould have been more eager to exhibit tlie 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


485 


qualities of his trumpet or his cross-bow, than this simple for- 
ester was to prove those of his rifle. Returning to the plat- 
form, he first took the Delaware aside and informed him that 
this celebrated piece was to become his property, in the event 
of anything serious befalling himself. 

“ This is a new reason why you should be wary, Sarpent, 
and not run into any oncalculated danger,” the hunter added, 
“ for it will be victory of itself, to a tribe, to own such a piece 
as this ! The Mingos will turn green with envy ; and, what is 
more, they will not ventur’ heedlessly near a village wliere it is 
known to be kept. So look well to it, Delaware, and remember 
that you Ve now to watch over a thing that has all the valie 
of a creator’, without its failin’s. Hist may be, and should be 
precious to you, but Killdeer will have the love and veneration 
of your whole people.” 

“One rifle like another, Deerslayer,” returned the Indian, in 
English, the language used by the other, a little hurt at his 
friend’s lowering his betrothed to the level of a gun. “ All 
kill ; all wood and iron. Wife dear to heart ; rifle good to 
shoot.” 

“ And what is a man in the woods, without something to 
shoot with? — a miserable trapper, or a forlorn broom and 
basket maker, at the best. Such a man may hoe corn, and 
keep soul and body together, but he can never know the savory 
morsels of venison, or tell a bear’s ham from a hog’s. Come, 
my fri’nd, such another occasion may never offer ag’in, and I 
feel a strong craving for a trial with this celebrated piece. You 
shall bring out your own rifle, and I will just sight Killdeer in 
a careless way, in order that we may know a few of its secret 
vartues.” 

As this proposition served to relieve the thoughts of the 
whole party, by giving them a new direction, while it was 
likely to produce no unpleasant result, every one was willing 
to enter into it ; the girls bringing forth the fire-arms with an 


486 


THE DEERSLAYER 


alacrity bordering on cheerfulness. Mutter’s armory was well 
supplied, possessing several rifles, all of which were habitually 
kept loaded, in readiness to meet any sudden demand for their 
use. On the present occasion, it only remained to freshen the 
primings, and each piece was in a state for service. This was 
soon done, as all assisted in it, the females being as expert, in 
this part of the system of defence, as their male companions. 

“Now, Sarpent, we’ll begin in a humble way, using old 
Tom’s commoners first, and coming to your we’pon and Kill- 
deer as the winding-up observations,” said Deerslayer, delighted 
to be again, weapon in hand, ready to display his skill. 
“ Here ’s birds in abundance, some in, and some over the lake, 
and they keep at just a good range, hovering round the hut. 
Speak your mind, Delaware, and p’int out the creatur’ you wish 
to alarm. Here ’s a diver, nearest in, off to the eastward, and 
that ’s a creatin’’ that buries itself at the flash, and will be like 
enough to try both piece and powder.” 

Chingachgook was a man of few words. No sooner was the 
bird pointed out to him than he took his aim and fired. The 
duck dived at the flash, as had been expected, and the bullet 
skipped harmlessly along the surface of the lake, first striking 
the water within a few inches of the spot where the bird had 
so lately swam. Deerslayer laughed cordially and naturally ; 
but at the same time he threw himself into an attitude of 
preparation, and stood keenly watching the sheet of plncid 
water. Presently a dark spot appeared, and then the duck 
arose to breathe, and shook its wings. While in this act, a 
bullet passed directly through its breast, actually turning it 
over lifeless, on its back. At the next moment, Deerslayer 
stood with the breech of his rifle on the platform, as tranquil 
as if nothing had happened, though laughing in his own 
peculiar manner. 

“ There ’s no great trial of the pieces in that ! ” he said, as if 
anxious to prevent a false impression of his own merit. “ No, 


( 

1 

i 


THE DEERSLAYER 


487 


that proof’s neither for nor ag’in the rifles, seeing it was all 
quickness of hand and eye. I took the bird at a disadvantage, 
or he might have got under ag’in, afore the bullet reached him. 
But the Sarpent is too wise to mind such tricks, having 
long been used to them. Do you remember the time, chief, 
when you thought yourself sartain of the wild goope, and I 
took him out of your very eyes, as it might be, with a lit- 
tle smoke? Howsever, such things pass for nothing atween 
fri’nds, and young folk will have tlieir fun, Judith. Ay, here ’s 
just the bird we want, for it ’s as good for the fire as it is for 
the aim, and nothing should be lost that can be turned to just 
account. There, farther north, Delaware.” 

The latter looked in the required direction, and he soon saw 
a large black duck, floating in stately repose on the water. 
At that distant day, when so few men were present to derange 
the harmony of the wilderness, all the smaller lakes with which 
the interior of New York so abounds, were places of resort for the 
migratory aquatic birds ; and this sheet, like the others, had 
once been much frequented by all the varieties of the duck, by 
the goose, the gull, and the loon. On tlie appearance of Rut- 
ter, the spot was comparatively deserted for other sheets, more 
retired and remote, though some of each species continued to 
resort thither, as indeed they do to the present hour. At that 
instant, a hundred birds were visible from the castle, sleeping 
on the water, or laving their feathers in the limpid element, 
though no other offered so favorable a mark as that Deerslayer 
had just pointed out to his friend. Chingachgook, as usual, 
spared his words, and proceeded to execution. This time his 
aim was more careful than before, and his success in proi)ortion. 
The bird had a wing crippled, and fluttered along the water 
screaming, materially increasing its distance from its enemies. 

“ That bird must be put out of pain,” exclaimed Deerslayer, 
the moment the animal endeavored to rise on the wing ; “ and 
this is the rifle and the eye to do it.” 


488 


THE HEERSLAYER 


The duck was still floundering along, when the fatal bullet* 
overtook it, severing the head from the neck, as neatly as if it? 
had been done with an axe. Hist had indulged in a low cry • 
of delight, at the success of the young Indian ; but now she 
affected to frown and resent the greater skill of his friend. 
The chief, on the contrary, uttered the usual exclamation of 
pleasure, and his smile proved how much he admired, and how' 
little he envied. 

“Never mind the gal, Sarpent; never mind Hist’s feelin’s, 
which will neither choke nor drown, slay nor beautify,” said 
Deerslayer, laughing. “’T is nat’ral for women to enter into 
their husband’s victories and defeats, and you are as good as 
man and wife, so far as prejudice and fri’ndship go. Here is 
a bird overhead that will put the pieces to the proof ; I chal- 
lenge you to an upward aim, with a flying target. That ’s a 
ra’al proof, and one that needs sartain rifles, as well as sartain 
eyes.” 

The species of eagle that frequents the water, and lives on 
fish, was also present, and one was hovering at a considerable 
height above the hut, greedily watching for an opportunity to' 
make a swoop ; its hungry young elevating their heads from a 
nest that was in sight, in the naked summit of a dead pine. 
Chingachgook silently turned a new piece against this bird, 
and after carefully watching his time, fired. A wider circuit 
than common, denoted that the messenger had passed through 
the air at no great distance from the bird, though it missed its 
object. Deerslayer, whose aim was not more true than it was 
quick, fired as soon as it was certain his friend had missed, 
and the deep swoop that followed left it momentarily doubt- 
ful whether the eagle was hit or not. The marksman him- 
self, however, proclaimed his own want of success, calling on 
his friend to seize another rifle, for he saw signs on the part of 
the bird of an intention to quit the spot. ' 

“ I made him wink, Sarpent ; I do think his feathers were 


THE DEERS LAYER 


489 


ruffled, but no blood has yet been drawn, nor is that old piece 
fit for so nice and quick a sight. Quick, Delaware ; you Ve 
now a better rifle, and Judith, bring out Killdeer, for this is 
the occasion to try his merits, if he has ’em ! ” 

A general movement followed, each of the competitors got 
ready, and the girls stood in eager expectation of the result. 
The eagle had made a wide circuit after his low swoop, and 
fanning his way upward, once more hovered nearly over the hut, 
at a distance even greater than before. Chingachgook gazed 
at him, and then expressed his opinion of the impossibility of 
striking a bird at that great height, and while he was so 
nearly perpendicular as to the range. But a low murmur 
from Hist produced a sudden impulse, and he fired. The 
result showed how well he had calculated, the eagle not even 
varying his flight, sailing round and round in his airy circle, 
and looking down, as if in contempt, at his foes. 

“Now, Judith,” cried Deerslayer, laughing, with glistening 
and delighted eyes, “ we ’ll see if Killdeer is n’t Killeagle too ! 
Give me room, Sarpent, and watch the reason of the aim, for 
by reason anything may be Famed.” 

A careful sight followed, and was repeated again and again, 
the bird continuing to rise higher and higher. Then followed 
the flash and the report. The swift messenger sped upwards, 
and, at the next instant, the bird turned on its side, and came 
swooping down, now struggling with one wing and then with 
the other, sometimes whirling in a circuit, next fanning desper- 
ately as if conscious of its injury, until, having described several 
complete circles around the spot, it fell heavily into the end of 
the ark. On examining the body, it was found that the bullet 
had pierced it about half-way between one of its wings and tlie 
breast-bone. 


490 


THE DEERSLAYER 


CHAPTER XXVI 

“ Upon two stony tables, spread before her, 

She leaned her bosom, more than stony hard; 

There slept the impartial judge, and strict restorer 
Of wrong or right, with pain or with reward ; 

There hung the score of all our debts, the card 

Where good, and bad, and life, and death, were painted; 

Was never heart of mortal so untainted. 

But when the roll was read, with thousand terrors fainted.” 

Giles Fletcher. 

“ We Ve done an onthoughtful thing, Sarpent — yes, Judith, 
we Ve done an onthoughtful thing in taking life with an object 
no better than vanity ! ” exclaimed Deerslayer, when the Dela- 
ware held up the enormous bird, by its wings, and exhibited 
the dying eyes riveted on its enemies with the gaze that the 
helpless ever fasten on their destroyers. “’T was more becomiii’ 
two boys to gratify their feelin’s in this onthoughtful manner 
than two warriors on a war-path, even though it be their first. 
Ah ’s me ! well, as a punishment I ’ll quit you at once, and when 
I find myself alone with them bloody-minded Mingos, it ’s more 
than like I ’ll have occasion to remember that life is sweet, even 
to the beasts of the woods and the fowls of the air. Here, 
Judith; there’s Killdeer ; take him back ag’in, and keep him 
for some hand that ’s more desarving to own such a piece.” 

“ I know of none as deserving as your own, Deerslayer,” 
answered the girl in haste; “none but yours shall keep the 
rifle.” 

“ If it depended on skill, you might be right enough, gal, but 
we should know when to use fire-arms as well as how to use 
’em. I have n’t I’arnt the first duty yet, it seems ; so keep the 
piece till I have. The sight of a (lyin’ and distressed creator’, 
even though it be only a bird, brings wholesome thoughts to a 
man who don’t know how soon his own time may come, and who 


THE DEERSLAYEE 


491 


15 pretty sartain that it will come afore the sun sets ; I ’d give 
back all my vain feelin’s and rej’icin’s in hand and eye, if that 
poor eagle was only on its nest ag’in with its young, praisin’ the 
Lord, for anything that we can know about the matter, for 
health and strength ! ” 

The listeners were confounded wdth this proof of sudden 
repentance in the hunter, and that, too, for an indulgence 
so very common, that men seldom stop to weigh its con- 
sequences, or the physical suffering it may bring on the 
unoffending and helpless. The Delaware understood what 
was said, though he scarce understood the feelings which had 
prompted the words, and by way of disposing of the difficulty, 
he drew his keen knife and severed the head of the sufferer 
from its body. 

“ What a thing is power ! ” continued the hunter, “ and 
what a thing it is to have it, and not to know how to use it ! 
It ’s no wonder, Judith, that the great so often fail of their 
duties, when even the little and the humble find it so hard to 
do what ’s right, and not to do what ’s wTong. Then, how 
one evil act brings otliers a’ ter it ! Now, was n’t it for this 
furlough of mine, which must soon take me back to the 
Mingos, I ’d find this creator’s nest, if I travelled the woods a 
fortnight — though an eagle’s nest is soon found by them 
that understands the bird’s natur’ — but I ’d travel a fortnight 
rather than not find it, just to put the young, too, out of 
their pain.” 

“I’m glad to hear you say this, Deerslayer,” observed Hetty, 
“and God will be more apt to remember your sorrow for 
what you ’ve done, than the wdckedness itself. I thought how 
wicked it was to kill harmless birds while you were shooting, 
and meant to tell you so ; but, I don’t know how it happened, 
— I was so curious to see if you could hit an eagle at so 
great a height, that I forgot altogether to speak till the mis- 
chief was done.” 


492 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“That’s it; that’s just it, my good Hetty. We can see 
our faults and mistakes when it ’s too late to help them ! 
Howsever, I ’m glad you did n’t speak, for I don’t think a 
word or two would have stopped me just at that moment ; 
and so the sin stands in its nakedness, and' not aggravates! by 
any-unheeded calls to forbear. Well, well, bitter thoughts are 
hard to be borne at all times, but there ’s times when tliey ’re 
harder than at others.” 

Little did Deerslayer know, while thus indulging in feelings 
that were natural to the man, and so strictly in accordance 
with his own unsophisticated and just principles, that, in th'^. 
course of the inscrutable Providence which so uniformly and 
yet so mysteriously covers all events with its mantle, the very 
fault he was disposed so severely to censure, was to be made 
the means of determining his own earthly fate. The mode and 
the moment in which he was to feel the influence of this inter- 
ference, it would be premature to relate, but both will appear 
in the course of the succeeding chapters. As for the young 
man, he now slowly left the ark, like one sorrowing for his 
misdeeds, and seated himself in silence on the platform. By 
this time the sun had ascended to some height, and its appear- 
ance, taken in connection with his present feelings, induced him 
to prepare to depart. The Delaware got the canoe ready for 
his friend as soon as apprised of his intention, while Hist busied 
herself in making the few arrangements that were thought 
necessary to his comfort. All this was done without ostenta- 
tion, but in a way that left Deerslayer fully acquainted with, 
and equally disposed to appreciate, the motive. When all was 
ready, both returned to the side of Judith and Hetty — neither 
of whom had moved from the spot where the young hunter 
sat. 

“The best fri’nds must often part,” the last began, when he 
saw the whole party grouped around him. “Yes,, fri’ndshii) 
can’t alter the ways of Providence ; and let our feelin’s be a^> 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


493 


they may, we must part. I ’ve often thought there ’s moments 
when our words dwell longer on the mind than common, and 
when advice is rernembered, just because the mouth that gives 
it is n’t likely to give it ag’in. No one knows what will happen 
in the worhl ; and therefore it may be well, when fri’nds sepa- 
rate under a likelihood that the parting may be long, to say a 
few words in kindness, as a sort of keepsakes. If all but one 
will go intp the ark, I ’ll talk to each in turn, and what is more, 
I ’ll listen to what you may have to say back ag’in ; for it ’s a 
poor counsellor that won’t take as well as give.” 

As the meaning of the speaker was understood, the two 
Indians immediately withdrew as desired, leaving the sisters, 
however, still standing at the young man’s side. A look of 
Deerslayer’s induced Judith to explain. 

“You can advise Hetty as you land,” she said, hastily; “ I 
intend that she shall accompany you to the shore.” 

“ Is this wise, Judith ? It ’s true that, under common sar- 
cumstances, a feeble mind is a great protection among redskins ; 
but when their feelin’s are up, and they ’re bent on revenge, it ’s 
hard to say what may come to pass. Besides — ” 

“What were you about to say, Deerslayer?” asked Judith, 
whose gentleness of voice and manner amounted nearly to ten- 
derness, though she struggled hard to keep her emotions and 
apprehensions in subjection. 

“ Why, simply that there are sights and doin’s that one even 
as little gifted with reason and memory as Hetty, here, might 
better not witness. So, Judith, you would do well to let me 
land alone, and to keep your sister back.” 

“Never fear for me, Deerslayer, ” put in Hetty, who compre- 
hended enough of the discourse to know its general drift ; “ I ’m 
feeble-minded, and that, they say, is an excuse for going any- 
w'here ; and what that won’t excuse will be overlooked on 
account of the Bible I always carry. It is wonderful, Judith, 
how all sorts of men, the trappers as w^ell as the hunters, retl- 


494 


THE DEERSLAYER 


men as well as white, Mingos as well as Delawares, do reverence 
and fear the Bible ! ” 

“ I think you have not the least ground to fear any injury, 
Hetty,” answered the sister, “ and therefore I shall insist on 
your going to the Huron camp with our friend. Your being 
there can do no harm, not even to yourself, and may do great 
good to Deerslayer.” 

“ This is not a moment, Judith, to dispute ; ai^d so have 
the matter your own way,” returned the young man. “ Get 
yourself ready, Hetty, and go into the canoe, for I ’ve a few 
parting words to say to your sister, which can do you no good.” 

Judith and her companion continued silent, until Hetty had 
so far complied as to leave them alone, when Deerslayer took 
up the subject as if it had been interrupted by some ordinary 
occurrence, and in a very matter-of-fact way. 

“ Words spoken at parting, and which may be the last we 
ever hear from a fri’nd, are not soon forgotten,” he repeated, _ 
“ and so, Judith, I intend to speak to you like a brother, * 
seein’ I ’m not old enough to be your father. In the first 
place, I wish to caution you ag’in your inimies, of which two 
may be said to ha’nt your very footsteps, and to beset your 
ways. The first is oncommon good looks, which is as danger- 
ous a foe to some young women as a whole tribe of Mingos 
could prove, and wdiich calls for great watchfulness ; not to ad- 
mire and praise ; but to distrust and sarcumvent. Yes, good 
looks may be sarcumvented, and fairly outwitted, too. In order 
to do this, you Ve only to remember that they melt like the 
snows ; and, when once gone, they never come back ag’in. 
The seasons come and go, Judith ; and if we have winter, with 
storms and frosts, and spring, with chills and leafless trees, we 
have summer, with its sun and glorious skies, and firll, with 
its fruits, and a garment thrown over the forest that no beauty 
of the town could rummage out of all the shops in America. 
’Arth is an eternal round, the goodness of God bringing back 


THE DEERSLAYER 


495 


the pleasant when we Ve had enough of the onpleasant. But 
it ’s not so with good looks. I'hey are lent for a short time in 
youth, to be used and not abused ; and as I never met with a 
young woman to whom Providence has been as bountiful as it 
has to you, Judith, in this partic’lar, I warn you, as it might 
be with my dyin’ breath, to beware of the inimy ; fri’nd or 
inimy, as we deal with the gift.” 

It was so grateful to Judith to hear these unequivocal ad- 
missions of her personal charms, that much would have been 
forgiven to the man who made them, let him be who he might. 
But, at that moment, and from a far better feeling, it would not 
have been easy for Deerslayer seriously to olfend her ; and she 
listened with a patience which, had it been foretold only a week 
earlier, would have excited her indignation to hear. 

“ I understand your meaning, Deerslayer,” returned the girl, 
with a meekness and humility that a little surprised her lis- 
tener, “ and hope to be able to profit by it. But you have 
mentioned only one of the enemies I have to fear; who, or 
what, is the other ? ” 

“The other is givin’ way afore your own good sense and 
judgment, I find, Judith ; yes, he ’s not as dangerous as I sup- 
posed. Howsever, havin’ opened the subject, it will be as 
well to end it honestly. The first inimy you have to be watch- 
ful of, as I ’ve already told you, Judith, is oncommon good 
looks, and the next is an oncommon knowledge of the sarcum- 
stance. If the first is bad, the last does n’t in any way mend 
the matter, so far as safety and peace of mind are consarned.” 

How much longer the young man would have gone on in his 
simple and unsuspecting, but well-intentioned manner, it might 
not be easy to say, had he not been interrupted by his listener’s 
bursting into tears, and giving way to an outbreak of feeling, 
which was so much the more violent from the fact that it had 
been with so much difficulty suppressed. At first her sobs 
were so violent and uncontrollable that Deerslayer Avas a little 


496 


THE DEERSLAYER 


appalled, and he was abundantly repentant from the instant 
that he discovered how much greater was the effect produced by , 
his words than he had anticipated. Even the austere and : 
exacting are usually appeased by the signs of contrition, but the ! 
nature of Deerslayer did not require proofs of intense feeling 
so strong, in order to bring him down to a level with the re- 
grets felt by the girl herself He arose as if an adder had stung 
him, and the accents of the mother that soothes her child 
were scarcely more gentle and winning than the tones of his 
voice, as he now expressed his contrition at having gone so far. 

“It was well meant, Judith,” he said, “but it was not 
intended to hurt your feelin’s so much. I have overdone the 
advice, I see ; yes, I Ve overdone it, and I crave your pardon \ 
for the same. Fri’ndship ’s an awful thing ! Sometimes it 
chides us for not having done enough ; and then ag’in it speaks 
in strong words for havin’ done too much. Howsever, I ac- 
knowledge I ’ve overdone the matter, and as I ’ve a ra’al and 
strong regard for you, I rej’ice to say it, inasmuch as it proves i 
how much better you are than my own vanity and consaits had 
made you out to be.” 

Judith now moved her hands from her face, her tears had 
ceased, and she unveiled a countenance so winning, with the 
smile which rendered it even radiant, that the young man 
gazed at her for a moment with speechless deliglit. 

“Say no more, Deerslayer,” she hastily interposed, “it-' 
pains me to hear you find fault with yourself I know my 
own weakness all the better, now I see that you have discov- 
ered it ; the lesson, bitter as I have found it for a moment, 
shall not be forgotten. We will not talk any longer of these 
things, I do not feel myself brave enough for the undertaking, 
and I should not like the Delaware, or Hist, or even Hetty, 
to notice my weakness. Farewell, Deerslayer ; may God bless 
and protect you as your honest heart deserves blessing and ; 
protection, and as I must think he will.” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


497 


Judith had so far regained the superiority that properly 
belonged to her better education, high spirit, and surpassing 
personal advantages, as to preserve the ascendency she had 
thus accidentally obtained, and eftectually prevented any return 
to the subject that was as singularly interrupted as it had 
been singularly introduced. The young man permitted her to 
have everything her own way, and when she pressed his hard 
hand in both her own, he made no resistance, but submitted to 
the homage as quietly, and with quite as matter of course a 
manner, as a sovereign would have received a similar tribute 
from a subject, or the mistress from her suitor. Feeling had 
flushed the face and illuminated the whole countenance of the 
girl, and her beauty was never more resplendent than when 
she cast a parting glance at the youth. That glance was filled 
with anxiety, interest, and gentle pity. At the next instant 
she darted into the hut and was seen no more ; though she 
spoke to Hist from a window, to inform her that their friend 
expected her appearance. 

“You know enough of redskin natur’ and redskin usages, 
Wah-ta-Wah, to see the condition I am in on account of this 
furlough,” commenced the hunter, in Delaware, as soon as the 
patient and submissive girl of that people had moved quietly 
to his side ; “ you will therefore best understand how onlikely 
I am ever to talk with you ag’in. I Ve but little to say ; but 
that little comes from long livin’ among your people, and from 
havin’ obsarved and noted their usages. The life of a woman 
is hard at the best, but, I must own, though I ’m not opinion- 
ated in favor of my own color, that it is harder among the red- 
men than it is among the pale-faces. This is a point on which 
Christians may well boast, if boasting can be set down for 
Christianity in any manner or form, which I rather think it 
cannot. Howsever, all women have their trials. Red women 
have their’n in what I should call the nat’ral way, while white 
women take ’em inoculated like. Bear your burden. Hist, 

2 K 


498 


TJIE DEERSLA YER 


becomingly, and remember, if it be a little toilsome, how much 
lighter it is than that of most Indian women. I know the 
Sarpent well — what I call cordially — and he will never be a 
tyrant to anything he loves, though he will expect to be treated 
himself like a Mohican chief. There will be cloudy days in 
your lodge, I suppose, for they happen under all usages, and 
among all people ; but, by keepin’ the windows of the heart 
open, there will always be room for the sunshine to enter. 
You come of a great stock yourself, and so does Chingachgook. 
It ’s not very likely that either will ever forget the sarcum- 
stance, and do anything to disgrace your forefathers. Never- 
theless, likin’ is a tender plant, and never thrives long when 
watered with tears. Let the ’arth around your married happi- 
ness be moistened by the dews of kindness.” 

“ My pale brother is very wise ; Wah will keep in her mind 
all that his wisdom tells her.” 

“ That ’s judicious and womanly. Hist. Care in listening, 
and stout-heartedness in holding to good counsel, is a wife’s 
great protection. And, now, ask the Sarpent to come and 
speak with me, for a moment, and carry away with you all my 
best wishes and prayers. I shall think of you. Hist, and of 
your intended husband, let what may come to pass, and always 
wish you well, here and hereafter, whether the last is to be 
according to Indian idees or Christian doctrines.” 

Hist shed no tears at parting. She was sustained by the 
high resolution of one who had decided on her course ; but her 
dark eyes were luminous with the feelings that glowed within, 
and her pretty countenance beamed witli an expression of deter- 
mination that was in marked and singular contrast to its ordi- 
nary gentleness. It was but a minute ere the Delaware advanced 
to the side of his friend with the light, noiseless tread of an 
Indian. 

“Come thisaway, Sarpent, here more out of sight of the 
women,” commenced the Deerslayer, “for I ’ve several tilings to 


THE DEERSLA YER 


499 


say that must n’t so much as be suspected, much less overheard. 

You know too well the natur’ of furloughs and Mingos to have 
any doubts or misgivin’s consarnin’ what is likely to happen, 
when I get back to the camp. On them two p’ints, therefore, 
a few words will go a great way. In the first place, chief, I 
wish to say a little about Hist, and the manner in which you 
redmen treat your wives. I suppose it ’s accordin’ to the gifts 
of your people that the women should work, and the men hunt ; 
but there ’s such a thing as moderation in all matters. As for 
huntin’, I see no good reason why any limits need be set to that^ 
but Hist comes of too good a stock to toil like a common drudge. 
One of your means and standin’ need never want for corn, or 
potatoes, or anything that the fields yield ; therefore, I hope the 
hoe will never be put into the hands of any wife of your’n. 
You know I am not quite a beggar, and all I own, whether in 
ammunition, skins, arms, or calicoes, I give to Hist, should I 
not come back to claim them by the end of the season. This 
will set the maiden up, and will buy labor for her, for a long 
time to come. I suppose I need n’t tell you to love the young 
woman, for that you do already, and whomsever the man ra’ally 
loves, he ’ll be likely enough to cherish. Nevertheless, it can 
do no harm to say that kind words never rankle, while bitter 
words do. I know you ’re a man, Sarpent, that is less apt to 
talk in his own lodge than to speak at the council-fire ; but for- 
getful moments may overtake us all, and the practice of kind 
doin’, and kind talkin’, is a wonderful advantage in keepin’ peace 
in a cabin, as well as on a hunt.” 

“ My ears are open,” returned the Delaware, gravely ; “ the 
words of my brother have entered so far that they never can fall 
out again. They are like rings that have no end, and cannot 
drop. Let him speak on ; the song of the wren and the voice 
of a friend never tire.” 

“I will speak a little longer, chief, but you will excuse it for 
the sak« of old companionship, should I now talk about myself 


500 


THE DEEESLA YEN 


If the worst comes to the worst, it ’s not likely there 11 be much 
left of me but ashes ; so a grave would be useless, and a sort of 
vanity. On that score I ’m no way particlar, though it might 
be well enough to take a look at the remains of the pile, and 
should any bones or pieces be found, ’t would be more decent to 
gather them together and bury them than to let them lie for the 
wolves to gnaw at and howl over. These matters can make no 
great difference in the ind, but men of white blood and Chris- 
tian feelin’s have rather a gift for graves.” 

“ It shall be done as my brother says,” returned the Indian, 
gravely. “ If his mind is full let him empty it in the bosom of 
a friend.” 

“ Thank you, Sarpent ; my mind ’s easy enough ; yes, it ’s 
tolerable easy. Idees will come uppermost that I ’m not apt 
to think about in common, it ’s true ; but by striving agin some, 
and lettin’ others come out, all will be right in the long run. 
There ’s one thing, howsever, chief, that does seem to be onrea,- 
sonable, and agin natur’, though the missionaries say it ’s true ; 
and bein’ of my religion and color, I feel bound to believe them. 
They say an Injin may torment and tortur’ the body to the 
heart’s content, and scalp, and cut, and tear, and burn, and 
consume all his inventions and diviltries, until nothin’ is left 
but ashes, and they shall be scattered to the four winds of 
heaven, yet, when the tmmpet of God shall sound, all will come 
together ag’in, and the man will stand forth in his flesh the 
same creatur’ as to looks, if not as to feelin’s, that he was afore 
he was harmed ! ” 

“ The missionaries are good men ; they mean well,” returned 
the Delaware, courteously ; “ they are not great medicines.® 
They think all they say, Deerslayer ; that is no reason why 
warriors and orators should be all ears. When Chingachgook 
shall see the father of Tamenund standing in his scalp, and 
paint, and warlock, tlien will he believe the missionaries.” 

“ Seein’ is believin’, of a sartainty — ah ’s me ! and some of 


THE DEERSLA YER 


501 


us may see these things sooner than we thought. I compre- 
hend your meanin’ about Tamenund’s father, Sarpent, and the 
idee ’s a close idee. Tamenimd is now an elderly man, say 
eighty, every day of it ; and his father was scalped, and tor- 
mented, and burnt when the present prophet was a youngster. 
Yes, if one could see that come to pass, there would n’t be much 
difficulty in yieldin’ faith to all that the missionaries say. 
Howsever, I ’in not ag’in the opinion now ; for you must know, 
Sarpent, that the great principle of Christianity is to believe 
without seeing ; and a man should always act up to his reli- 
gion and principles, let them be what they may.” 

“ That is strange for a wise nation,” said the Delaware, with 
emphasis. “ The redman looks hard, that he may see and 
understand.” 

“ Yes, that ’s plauserble and is agreeable to mortal pride ; 
but it ’s not as deep as it seems. If we could understand all 
we see, Sarpent, there might be not only sense, but safety, in 
refusin’ to give faith to any one thing that we might find on- 
comprehensible ; but when there ’s so many things about which 
it may be said we know nothing at all, why, there ’s little use 
and no reason in bein’ difficult touchin’ any one in partic’lar. 
For my part, Delaware, all my thoughts have n’t been on the 
game, when outlyin’ in the hunts and scoutin’s of our youth. 
Many ’s the hour I ’ve passed, pleasantly enough too, in what is 
tarmed conterplation by my people. On such occasions the 
mind is actyve, though the body seems lazy and listless. An 
open spot on a mountain side, where a wide look can be had at 
the heavens and the ’arth, is a most judicious place for a man 
to get a just idee of the power of the Manitou, and of his own 
littleness. At such times there is n’t any great disposition to 
find fault with little difficulties in the way of comprehension, as 
there are so many big ones to hide them. Believin’ comes easy 
enough to me, at such times ; and if the Lord made man first, 
out of ’arth, as they tell me it is written in the Bible, then turns 


502 


THE DEERSLAYER 


him into dust at death, I see no great difficulty in the way to 
bringin’ him back in the body, though ashes be the only sub- 
stance left. These things lie beyond our understandin’, though 
they may and do lie so close to our feelin’s. But of all the 
doctrines, Sarpent, that which disturbs me, and disconsarts my 
mind the most, is the one which teaches us to think that a pale- 
face goes to one heaven and a redskin to another ; it may sepa- 
rate in death them which lived much together, and loved each 
other well in life ! ” 

“ Do the missionaries teach their white brethren to think it 
is so ? ” demanded the Indian, with serious earnestness. “ The 
Delawares believe that good men and brave warriors will hunt 
together in the same pleasant woods, let them belong to what- 
ever tribe they may ; that all the unjust Indians, and cowards, 
will have to sneak in with the dogs and the wolves, to get veni- 
son for their lodges.” 

“ ’T is wonderful how many consaits mankind have consarnin’ 
happiness and misery, hereafter ! ” exclaimed the hunter, borne 
away by the power of his own thoughts. “ Some believe in 
burnin’s and flames, and some think punishment is to eat with 
the wolves and dogs. Then, ag’in, some fancy heaven to be 
only the carryin’ out of their own ’arthly longin’s ; while others 
fancy it all gold and shinin’ lights ! Well, I Ve an idee of my 
own, in that matter, which is just this, Sarpent. Whenever 
I ’ve done wrong, I ’ve gin’rally found ’t was owin’ to some 
blindness of the mind, which hid the right from view, and when 
sight has returned, then has come sorrow and repentance. Now, 
I consait that, after death, when the body is laid aside, or, if 
used at all, is purified and without its longin’s, the spirit sees 
all things in their ra’al light, and never becomes blind to truth 
and justice. Such bein’ the case, all that has been done in life 
is beheld as plainly as the sun is seen at noon ; the good brings 
joy, while the evil brings sorrow. There ’s nothin’ onreasonable 
in that, but it ’s agreeable to every man’s experience.” 


THE DEERSLA YER 503 

“ I thought the pale-faces believed a// men were wicked who 
then could ever find the white man’s heaven ? ” 

“ That ’s ingen’ous, but it falls short of the missionary teach- 
in’s. You ’ll be Christianized one day, I make no doubt, and 
then ’t will all come plain enough. You must know, Sarpent, 
that there ’s been a great deed of salvation done, that, by God’s 
help, enables all men to find a pardon for their wickedness, and 
that is the essence of the white man’s religion. I can’t stop to 
talk this matter over with you any longer, for Hetty’s in the 
canoe, and the furlough takes me away ; but the time will come, 
I hope, when you ’ll feel tliese things ; for, after all, they must 
be felt^ rather than reasoned about. Ah ’s me ! well, Delaware, 
there ’s my hand, you know it ’s that of a fri’nd, and will shake 
it as such, though it never has done you one half the good its 
owner wishes it had.” 

The Indian took the offered hand, and returned its pressure 
warmly. Then falling back on his acquired stoicism of manner, 
which so many mistake for constitutional indifference, he drew 
up in reserve, and prepared to part from his friend with dignity. 
Deerslayer, however, was more natural ; nor would he have at 
all cared about giving way to his feelings, had not the recent 
conduct and language of Judith given him some secret, though 
ill-defined apprehensions of a scene. He was too humble to 
imagine the truth concerning the actual feelings of that beautiful 
girl, while he was too observant not to have noted the struggle 
she had maintained with herself, and which had so often led her 
to the very verge of discovery. That something extraordinary 
was concealed in her breast, he thought obvious enough ; and, 
through a sentiment of manly delicacy that would have done 
credit to the highest human refinement, he shrank from any ex- 
posure of her secret that might subsequently cause regret to the 
girl herself. He therefore determined to depart now, and that 
without any further manifestations of feeling, either from him- 
self or from others. 


504 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ God bless you ! Sarpent — God bless you ! ” cried the 
hunter, as the canoe left the side of the platform. “Your 
Manitou and my God only knows when and where we shall 
meet ag’in ; I shall count it a great blessing, and a full reward 
for any little good I may have done on ’arth, if we shall be per- 
mitted to know each other, and to consort together, hereafter, 
as we have so long done in these pleasant woods afore us ! ” 

Chingachgook waved his hand. Drawing the light blanket 
he wore over his head, as a Roman would conceal his grief in 
his robes° he slowly withdrew into the ark, in order to indulge 
his sorrow and his inusings alone. Deerslayer did not speak 
again, until the canoe was half-way to the shore. Then he 
suddenly ceased paddling, at an interruption that came from the 
mild, musical voice of Hetty. 

“Why do you go back to the Hurons, Deerslayer?” de- 
manded the girl. “ They say / am feeble-minded, and such 
they never harm ; but you have as much sense as Hurry 
Harry ; and more too, Judith thinks, though I don’t see how 
that can well be.” 

“Ah! Hetty, afore we land, I must convarse a little with 
you, child ; and that, too, on matters touching your own wel- 
fare, principally. Stop paddling — or, rather, that the Mingos 
needn’t think we are plotting and contriving, and so treat us 
accordingly, just dip your paddle liglitly, and give the canoe a 
little motion and no more. That ’s just the idee and the move- 
ment ; I see you ’re ready enough at an appearance, and might 
be made useful at a sarciimvention, if it was lawful now to use 
one — that’s just the idee and the movement! Ah’s me! 
Desait and a false tongue are evil things, and altogether onbe- 
coming our color, Hetty ; but it is a pleasure and a satisfaction 
to outdo the contrivances of a redskin, in the strife of lawful 
warfare. My path has been short, and is like soon to have an 
end ; but I can see that the wanderings of a warrior are n’t 
altogether among brambles and difficulties. There ’s a bright 


THE DEERSLA YER 


505 


side to a war-path, as well as to most other things, if we ’ll only 
have the wisdom to see it, and the ginerosity to own it.” 

“ And why should your war-path, as you call it, come so near 
to an end, Deerslayer ? ” 

“ Because, my good girl, my furlough comes so near to an end. 
They ’re likely to have pretty much the same tarmination, as 
regards time — one following on the heels of the other, as a 
matter of course.” 

“I don’t understand your meaning, Deerslayer,” returned the 
girl, looking a little bewildered. “ Mother always said people 
ought to speak more plainly to me than to most other persons, 
because I ’m feeble-minded. Those that are feeble-minded don’t 
understand as easily as those that have sense.” 

“ Well then, Hetty, the simple truth is this. You know 
that I ’m now a capty ve to the Hurons, and capt^/ves can’t do, 
in all things as they please — ” 

“ But how can you be a captive,” eagerly interrupted the girl, 
“ when you are out here on the lake, in father’s bark canoe, and 
the Indians are in the woods, with no canoe at all? That can’t 
be true, Deerslayer ! ” 

“ I wish with all my heart and soul, Hetty, that you was 
right, and that I was wrong, instead of your bein’ all wrong, 
and my bein’ only too near the truth. Free as I seem to your 
eyes, gal, I ’m bound hand and foot in ra’ality.” 

“Well, it is a great misfortune not to have sense ! Now, I 
can’t see, or understand, that you are a captive, or bound in any 
manner. If you are bound, with what are your hands and feet 
fastened ? ” 

“ With a furlough, gal ; that ’s a thong that binds tighter 
than any chain. One may be broken, but the other can’t. 
Ropes and chains allow of knives, and desait, and contrivances ; 
but a furlough can be neither cut, slipped, nor sarcum vented.” 

“ What sort of a thing is a furlough, then, if it be stronger 
than hemp or iron ? I never saw a furlough.” 


506 


THE DEERSLAYEK 


“ I hope you may never feel one, gal ; the tie is altogether in 
the feelin’s, in these matters, and therefore is to he felt and 
not seen. You can understand what it is to give a promise, I | 
dare to say, good little Hetty 1 ” 

“ Certainly. A promise is to say you will do a thing, and 
that hinds you to he as good as your word. Mother always ; 
kept lier promises to me, and then she said it would he wicked I 
if I didn’t keep my promises to her, and to everybody else.” 

“You have had a good mother, in some matters, child, what- , 
ever she may have been in other some. That is a promise, and, 1 
as you say, it must he kept. Now, I fell into the hands of ^ 
the Mingos last night, and they let me come off to see my i 
fri’nds and send messages in to my own color, if any such feel j 
consarn on my account, on condition that I shall he hack, when ' 
the sun is up to-day, and take whatever their revenge and 
hatred can contrive, in the way of torments, in satisfaction for ■ 
the life of a warrior that fell by my rifle, as well as for that of 
the young woman shot by Hurry, and other disapp’intments met ' 
with on and about this lake. What is called a promise atween a 
mother and darter, or even atween strangers, in the settlements 
is called a furlough, when given by one soldier to another, on a 
war-path. And now I suppose you understand my situation, 
Hetty?” 

The girl made no answer for some time, but she ceased pad- 
dling altogether, as if the novel idea distracted her mind too 
much to admit of other employment. Then she resumed the 
dialogue earnestly and with solicitude. 

“ Do you think the Hurons will have the heart to do what , 
you say, Deerslayer?” she asked. “I have found them kind I 
and harmless.” j 

“ That ’s true enough as consarns one like you, Hetty ; hut \ 
it ’s a very different affair when it comes to an open inimy, and i 
he too the owner of a pretty sartain rifle. I don’t say that 
they hear me special malice on account of any expl’ites already < 


THE DEERSLAYER 


507 


performed, for that would be bragging, as it might be, on the 
verge of the grave ; but it ’s no vanity to believe that they know 
one of their bravest and cunnin’est chiefs fell by my hands. Such 
bein’ the case, the tribe would reproach them if they failed to 
send the spirit of a pale-face to keep the company of the spirit 
of their red brother ; always supposin’ that he can catch it. I 
look for no marcy, Hetty, at their hands; and my principal 
sorrow is, that such a calamity should befall me on my first 
war-path : that it would come sooner or later, every soldier 
counts on and expects.” 

“ The Hurons shall not harm you, Deerslayer,” cried the girl, 
much excited. “ ’ T is wicked as well as cruel ; I have the 
Bible here to tell them so. Do you think I would stand by 
and see you tormented 1 ” 

“ I hope not, my good Hetty, I hope not ; and therefore, 
when the moment comes, I expect you will move off and not be 
a witness of what you can’t help, while it would grieve you. 
But I have n’t stopped the paddles to talk of my own afflictions 
and difflculties, but to speak a little plainly to you, gal, con- 
sarnin’ your own matters.” 

“ What can you have to say to me, Deerslayer ! Since 
mother died, few talk to me of such things.” 

“ So much the worse, poor gal ; yes, ’t is so much the worse, 
for one of your state of mind needs frequent talking to in order 
to escape the snares and desalts of this wicked world. You 
have n’t forgotten Hurry Harry, gal, so soon, I calculate 1 ” 

“II — I forget Henry March ! ” exclaimed Hetty, start- 
ing. “ Why should I forget him, Deerslayer, when he is our 
friend, and only left us last night ? Then, the large bright star 
that mother loved so much to gaze at, was just over the top of 
yonder tall pine on the mountain, as Hurry got into the canoe ; 
and when you landed him on the point, near tlie east bay, it 
wasn’t more than the length of Judith’s handsomest ribbon 
above it,” 


508 


THE DEERSLAYER 


“ And how can you know how long I was gone, or how far I 
went to land Hurry, seein’ you were not with us, and the dis- 
tance was so great, to say nothing of the night ? ” 

“0! I knew when it was well enough,” returned Hetty, 
positively. “ There ’s more ways than one for counting time 
and distance. When the mind is engaged, it is better than any 
clock. Mine is feeble, I know, but it goes tme enough in all 
that touches poor Hurry Harry. Judith will never marry 
March, Deerslayer.” 

“ That ’s the p’int, Hetty; that’s the very p’int I want to 
come to. I suppose you know that it ’s nat’ral for young people 
to have kind feelin’s for one another, more especially when one 
happens to be a youth and t’ other a maiden. Now one of your 
years and mind, gal, that has neither father nor mother, and 
who lives in a wilderness frequented by hunters and trappers, 
needs to be on her guard against evils she little dreams of.” 

“ What harm can it be to think well of a fellow-creature ? ” 
returned Hetty, simply, though the conscious blood was stealing 
to her cheeks in spite of a spirit so pure that it scarce knew 
why it prompted the blush ; “ the Bible tells us to love them 
who despitefully use us, and why should n’t we like them that 
do not ? ” 

“ Ah ! Hetty, the love of the missionaries is n’t the sort of 
likin’ I mean. Answer me one thing, child ; do you believe 
yourself to have mind enough to become a wife and a mother 1 ” 

“ That ’s not a proper question to ask a young woman. Deer- 
slayer, and I’ll not answer it,” returned the girl, in a reproving 
manner — much as a parent rebukes a child for an act of indis- 
cretion. “If you have anything to say about Hurry, I’ll hear 
that — but you must not speak evil of him ; he is absent, and 
’tis unkind to talk evil of the absent.” 

“ Your mother has given you so many good lessons, Hetty, 
that my fears for you are not as great as they were. Neverthe- 
less, a young woman without parents, in your state of mind, 


THE DEEHSLAYER 


O09 


and who is not without beauty, must always be in danger in 
such a lawless region as this. I would say nothin’ amiss of 
Hurry, who, in the main, is not a bad man for one of his callin’, 
but you ought to know one thing, which it may not be alto- 
gether pleasant to tell you, but which must be said. March 
has a desperate likin’ for your sister Judith.” 

“Well, what of that? Everybody admires Judith, she’s so 
handsome, and Hurry has told me, again and again, how much 
he wishes to marry her. But that will never come to pass, for 
Judith don’t like Hurry. She likes another, and talks about 
him in her sleep ; though you need not ask me who he is, for 
all the gold in King George’s° crown, and all the jewels too, 
would n’t tempt me to tell you his name. If sisters can’t keep 
each other’s secrets, who can ? ” 

“ Sartainly ; I do not wish you to tell me, Hetty, nor would 
it be any advantage to a dyin’ man to know. What the tongue 
says when the mind ’s asleep, neither head nor heart is answer- 
able for.” 

“ I wish I knew why Judith talks so much in her sleep about 
officers, and honest hearts, and false tongues ; but I suppose 
she don’t like to tell me, as I ’m feeble-minded. Is n’t it odd, 
Deerslayer, that Judith don’t like Hurry — he, who is the 
bravest-looking youth that ever comes upon the lake, and is as 
handsome as she is herself. Father always said they would be 
the comeliest couple in the country, though mother didn’t fancy 
March any more than Judith. There ’s no telling what will 
happen, they say, until things actually come to pass.” 

“ Ah ’s me ! — well, poor Hetty, ’t is of no great use to talk 
to them that can’t understand you, and so I ’ll say no more about 
what I did wish to speak of, though it lay heavy on my mind. 
Put the paddle in motion ag’in, gal, and we ’ll push for the 
shore, for the sun is nearly up, and my furlough is almost 

out.” . . ^ 

The canoe now glided ahead, holding its way towards the 


510 


THE DEERSLAYER 


rJ 

'■ 

point where Deerslayer well knew that his enemies expected j 
him, and where he now began to be afraid he might not arrive \ 
in season to redeem his plighted faith. Hetty, perceiving his ! 
impatience, without clearly comprehending its cause, however, ] 
seconded his efforts in a way that soon rendered their timely j 
return no longer a matter of doubt. Then, and then only, did j 
the young man suffer his exertions to flag, and Hetty began ^ 
again to prattle in her simple, confiding manner, though noth- i 
ing further was uttered that it may be thought necessary to 
relate. 


CHAPTER XXVII 

“ Thou hast been busy, Death, this day, and yet 
But half thy work is done ! The gates of hell 
Are thronged, yet twice ten thousand spirits more, 

Who, from their warm and healthful tenements, 

Fear no divorce, must, ere the sun go down, 

Enter the world of woe ! ” 

Southey. . 

One experienced in the signs of the heavens would have i 
seen that the sun wanted but two or three minutes of the i 
zenith, when Deerslayer landed on the point where the Hurons i 
were now encamped, nearly abreast of the castle. This spot j 
was similar to the one already described, with the exception j 
that the surface of the land was less broken and less crowded ! 
with trees. Owing to these two circumstances, it was all the I 
better suited to the purpose for which it had been selected, 
tlie space beneath the branches bearing some resemblance 
to a densely wooded lawn. Favored by its position and its 
spring, it had been much resorted to by savages and hunters, | 
and the natural grasses had succeeded their fires, leaving an ■ 
appearance of sward in places, a very unusual accompaniment \ 


THE DEERSLAYER 


511 


of the virgin forest. Nor was the margin of water fringed 
with bushes as on so much of its shore, but the eye penetrated 
the woods immediately on reaching the strand, commanding 
nearly the whole area of the projection. 

If it was a point of honor with the Indian warrior to redeem 
his word, when pledged to return and meet his death at a given 
hour, so was it a point of characteristic pride to show no wom- 
anish impatience, but to reappear as nearly as possible at the 
appointed moment. It was well not to exceed the grace ac- 
corded by the generosity of the enemy, but it was better to 
meet it to a minute. Something of this dramatic effect min- 
gles with most of the graver usages of the American aborigines, 
and no doubt, like the prevalence of a similar feeling among 
people more sophisticated and refined, may be referred to a 
principle of nature. We all love the wonderful, and when it 
comes attended by chivalrous self-devotion and a rigid regard 
to honor, it presents itself to our admiration in a shape doubly 
attractive. As respects Deerslayer, though he took a pride in 
showing his white blood, by often deviating from the usages 
of the redmen, he frequently dropped into their customs, and 
oftener into their feelings, unconsciously to himself, in conse- 
quence of having no other arbiters to appeal to, than their 
judgments and tastes. On the present occasion, he would have 
abstained from betraying a feverish haste by a too speedy 
return, since it would have contained a tacit admission that 
the time asked for was more than had been wanted ; but, on 
the other hand, had the idea occurred to him, he would have 
quickened his movements a little in order to avoid the dramatic 
appearance of returning at the precise instant set as the utmost 
limit of his absence. Still, accident had interfered to defeat 
the last intention, for when the young man put his foot on the 
point, and advanced witli a steady tread towards the group of 
chiefs that was seated in grave array on a fallen tree, the oldest 
of their number cast his eye upward at an opening in the trees, 


512 


THU DEERSLAYER 


%\ 

and pointed out to his companions the startling fact that the 
sun was just entering a space that was known to mark the 
zenith. A common, but low exclamation of surprise and ad- 
miration escaped every mouth, and the grim warriors looked 
at each other ; some with envy and disappointment, some with 
astonishment, at the precise accuracy of their victim, and others 
with a more generous and liberal feeling. The American Indian 
always deemed his moral victories the noblest, prizing the groans 
and yielding of his victim under torture more than the trophy i 
of his scalp ; and the trophy itself more than his life. To slay, ; 
and not to bring off the proof of victory, indeed, was scarcely I 
deemed honorable ; even these rude and fierce tenants of the 
forest, like their more nurtured brethren of the court and the , 
camp, having set up for themselves imaginary and arbitrary i 
points of honor, to supplant the conclusions of the right, and ; 
the decisions of reason. , 

The Hurons had been divided in their opinions concerning .1 
the probability of their captive’s return. Most among them, 
indeed, had not expected it possible for a pale-face to come 
back voluntarily, and meet the known penalties of an Indian 
torture ; but a few of the seniors expected better things from 
one who had already shown himself so singularly cool, brave, ; 
and upright. The party had come to its decision, however, ‘ 
less in the expectation of finding the pledge redeemed, than in 
the hope of disgracing the Delawares by casting into their / 
teeth the delinquency of one bred in their villages. Tliey would 
have greatly preferred that Chingachgook should be their pris- 
oner, and prove the traitor ; but the pale-face scion of the hated 
stock was no bad substitute for their purposes, failing in their ■ 
designs against the ancient stem. With a view to render the 
triumph as signal as possible, in the event of tlie hour’s pass- 
ing without the reappearance of the hunter, all the warriors 
and scouts of the party had been called in ; and the whole band, 
men, women, and children, was now assembled at this single 1 1 


THE DEERSLAYEK 


513 


point, to be a witness of the expected scene. As the castle 
was in plain view, and by no means distant, it was easily 
watched by daylight; and it being thought that its inmates 
were now limited to Hurry, the Delaware, and the two girls, 
no apprehensions were felt of their being able to escape unseen. 
A large raft, having a breast-work of logs, had been prepared, 
and was in actual readiness to be used against either ark or 
castle, as occasion might require, as soon as the fate of Deer- 
slayer was determined ; the seniors of the party having come 
to the opinion that it was getting to be hazardous to delay 
their departure for Canada beyond the coming night. In short, 
the band awaited merely to dispose of this single affair, ere 
it brought matters to a crisis, and prepared to commence its 
retreat towards the distant waters of Ontario. 

It was an imposing scene, into which Deerslayer now found 
himself advancing. All the older warriors w'ere seated on the 
trunk of the Mien tree, w^aiting his approach with grave deco- 
rum. On the right stood the young men, armed, while the 
left was occupied by the women and children. In the centre 
was an open space of considerable extent, always canopied by 
leaves, but from w^hich the underbrush, dead wood, and other 
obstacles had been carefully removed. The more open area 
had probably been much used by former parties, for this was 
the place where the appearance of a sward was the most de- 
cided. The arches of the woods, even at high noon, cast their 
sombre shadows on the spot, which the brilliant rays of the 
sun that struggled through the leaves contributed to mellow, 
and, if such an expression can be used, to illuminate. It was 
probably from a similar scene that the mind of man first got 
its idea of the effects of Gothic® tracery and churchly hues ; this 
temple of nature producing some such effect, so far as light and 
shadows were concerned, as the well-known offspring of human 
invention. 

As was not unusual among the tribes and -wandering bands 
2 L 


THE DEERSLAYEU 


m 

of the aborigines, two chiefs shared, in nearly equal degrees, \ 
the principal and primitive authority that was wielded over \ 
these children of the forest. There were several who might 
claim the distinction of being chief men, but the two in ques- j 
tion were so much superior to all the rest in influence, that 1| 
when they agreed, no one disputed their mandates ; and when j 
they were divided, the band hesitated, like men wdio had lost 
their governing principle of action. It was also in conformity 
with practice — perhaps we might add, in conformity with 
nature, that one of the chiefs was indebted to his mind for his 
influence, whereas the other owed his distinction altogether to 
qualities that were physical. One was a senior, well known 
for eloquence in debate, wisdom in council, and prudence in 
measures ; while his competitor, if not his rival, was a brave, ii 
distinguished in war, notorious for ferocity, and remarkable, in | 
the way of intellect, for nothing but the cunning and expedients j 
of the war-path. The first was Rivenoak, who has already | 
been introduced to the reader, while the last was called Le j 
Panthfere, in the language of the Canadas ; or the Panther, 
to resort to the vernacular of the English colonies. The 
appellation of the fighting chief was supposed to indicate the 
qualities of the warrior, agreeably to a practice of the redman’s 
nomenclature ; ferocity, cunning, and treachery being, perhaps, 
the distinctive features of his character. The title had been ' 
received from the French, and was prized so much the more 
from that circumstance, the Indian submitting profoundly to |j 
the greater intelligence of his pale-face allies, in most things l| 
of this nature. How well the sobriquet was merited, wdll be 
seen in the sequel. 

Rivenoak and the Panther sat side by side, awaiting the 
approach of their prisoner, as Deerslayer put his moccasined 
foot on the strand ; nor did either move or utter a syllable until 
the young man had advanced into the centre of the area, and 
proclaimed his presence with his voice. This was done firmly. 


THE DEE RtiL AYER 51 0 

though in a simple manner that marked the character of the 
individual. 

“ Here I am, Mingos,” he said, in the dialect of the Dela- 
wares, a language that most present understood ; “ here I am, 
and there is the sun. One is not more true to the laws of 
natur’, than the other has proved true to his word. I am your 
prisoner ; do with me what you please. My business with 
man and ’arth is settled ; nothing remains now but to meet the 
white man’s God, accordin’ to a white man’s duties and gifts.” 

A murmur of approbation escaped even the women at this 
address, and, for an instant, there was a strong and pretty 
general desire to adopt into the tribe one who owned so brave 
a spirit. Still there were dissenters from this wish, among 
the principal of whom might be classed the Panther, and his 
sister, Le Sumach, so called from the number of her children, 
who was the widow of Le Loup Cervier, now known to have 
fallen by the hand of the captive. Native ferocity held one in 
subjection, while the corroding passion of revenge prevented 
the other from admitting any gentler feeling at the moment. 
Not so with Rivenoak. This chief arose, stretched his arm 
before him, in a gesture of courtesy, and paid his compliments 
with an ease and dignity that a prince might have envied. As, 
in that band, his wisdom and eloquence were confessedly with- 
out rivals, he knew that on himself would properly fall the 
duty of first replying to the speech of the pale-face. 

“ Pale-face, you are honest,” said the Huron orator. “ My 
people are happy in having captured a man, and not a skulking 
fox. We now know you ; we shall treat you like a brave. If 
you have slain one of our warriors, and helped to kill others, 
you have a life of your own ready to give away in return. 
Some of my young men thought that the blood of a pale-face 
was too thin ; that it would refuse to run under the Huron 
knife. You will show them it is not so ; your heart is stout as 
well as your body. It is a pleasure to make such a prisoner ; 


516 


THE DEERSLAYER 


should my warriors say that the death of Le Loup Cervier 
ought not to be forgotten, and that he cannot travel towards 1 
the land of spirits alone, that his enemy must be sent to 
overtake him, they will remember that he fell by the hand 
of a brave, and send you after him with such signs of our 
friendship as shall not make him ashamed to keep your com- ' 
pany. I have spoken ; you know what I have said.” 

“ True enough, Mingo, all true as the Gospel,” returned the 
simple-minded hunter ; “ you have spoken, and I do know not 
only what you have said^ but, what is still more important, 
what you mean. I dare say your warrior, the Lynx, was a 
stout-hearted brave, and worthy of your fri’ndship and respect, 
but I do not feel unworthy to keep his company, without any 
passport from your hands. Nevertheless, I am ready to receive . 
judgment from your council, if, indeed, the matter was not de- 
tarmined among you, afore I got back.” 

“My old men would not sit in council over a pale-face until 
they saw him among them,” answered Rivenoak, looking around r d 
him a little ironically ; “ they said it would be like sitting in -> 
council over the winds ; they go where they will, and come back 
as they see tit, and not otherwise. There was one voice that ' 1 
spoke in your favor, Deerslayer, but it was alone, like the wren ■■ : 
whose mate has been struck by the hawk.” / 

“ I thank that voice, whosever it may have been, Mingo, andv I 
will say it was as true a voice, as the rest were lying voices. > . j 
A furlough is as binding on a pale-face, if he be honest, as it is^ I 
on a redskin ; and was it not so, I would never bring disgrace on^- j 
the Delawares, among whom I may be said to have received my^ 
edication. But words are useless, and lead to braggin’ feelin’s 
here I am ; act your will on me.” ^ 

Rivenoak made a sign of acquiescence, and then a short con-V 
ference was privately held among the chiefs. As soon as thej | 
latter ended, three or four young men fell back from among|| 
the armed group, and disappeared. Then it was signified to^j 


THE DEERSLAYER 


517 


the prisoner that he was at liberty to go at large on the point, 
until a council was held concerning his fate. There was more 
'of seeming, than of real confidence, however, in this apparent 
liberality, inasmuch as the young men mentioned already formed 
a line of sentinels across the breadth of the point, inland, and 
escape from any other part was out of the question. Even the 
canoe was removed beyond this line of sentinels, to a spot where 
it was considered safe from any sudden attempt. These pre- 
cautions did not proceed from a failure of confidence, but from 
the circumstance that the prisoner had now complied with all 
the required conditions of his parole, and it would have been 
considered a commendable and honorable exploit to escape from 
his foes. So nice, indeed, were the distinctions drawn by the 
savages, in cases of this nature, that they often gave their vic- 
tims a chance to evade the torture, deeming it as creditable 
to the captors to overtake, or to outwit a fugitive, when his 
exertions were supposed to be quickened by the extreme jeopardy 
of his situation, at it was for him to get clear from so much 
extraordinary vigilance. 

Nor was Deerslayer unconscious of, or forgetful of, his rights, 
and of his opportunities. Could he now have seen any probable 
opening for an escape, the attempt would not have been delayed 
a minute. But the case seemed desperate. He was aware of 
the line of sentinels, and felt the difficulty of breaking through 
it, unharmed. The lake offered no advantages, as the canoe 
would have given his foes the greatest facilities for overtaking 
him ; else would he have found it no difficult task to swim as 
far as the castle. As he walked about the point, he even exam- 
ined the spot to ascertain if it offered no place of concealment ; 
but its openness, its size, and the hundred watchful glances 
that were turned towards him, even while those who made them 
affected not to see him, prevented any such expedient from 
succeeding. The dread and disgrace of failure had no influence 
on Deerslayer, who deemed it ever a point of honor to reason 


518 


THE IJEERSLAYER 


and feel like white men, rather than as an Indian, and who felt 
it as a sort of duty to do all he could, that did not involve a 
dereliction from principle, in order to save his life. Still he 
hesitated about making the effort, for he also felt that he ought 
to see the chance of success before he committed himself. 

In the meantime the business of the camp appeared to pro- 
ceed in its regular train. The chiefs consulted apart, admitting 
no one but the Sumach to their councils ; for she, the widow 
of the fallen warrior, had an exclusive right to be heard on 
such an occasion. The young men strolled about in indolent 
listlessness, awaiting the result with Indian impatience, while 
the females prepared the feast that was to celebrate the termi- 
nation of the affair, whether it proved fortunate or otherwise 
for our hero. No one betrayed feeling; and an indifferent 
observer, beyond the extreme watchfulness of the sentinels, 
would have detected no extraordinary movement or sensation to 
denote the real state of things. Two or three old women put 
their heads together, and it appeared unfavorably to the pros- 
pect of Deerslayer, by their scowling looks and angry gestures ; 
but a group of Indian girls were evidently animated by a dif- 
ferent impulse, as was apparent by stolen glances that expressed 
pity and regret. In this condition of the camp, an hour soon 
glided away. 

Suspense is, perhaps, the feeling of all others, that is most 
difficult to be supported. When Deerslayer landed, he fully 
expected in the course of a few minutes to undergo the tortures 
of an Indian revenge, and he was prepared to meet his fate 
manfully ; but the delay proved far more trying than the nearer 
approach of suffering, and the intended victim began seriously 
to meditate some desperate effort at escape, as it might be 
from sheer anxiety to terminate the scene, when he was suddenly 
summoned to appear, once more, in front of his judges, who 
had already arranged the band in its former order, in readiness 
to receive him. 


THE DEERSLA YER 


519 


“ Killer of the Deer,” commenced Rivenoak, as soon as his 
captive stood before him, “ my aged men have listened to wise 
words ; they are ready to speak. Yon are a man whose fathers 
came from beyond the rising sun ; we are children of the setting- 
sun ; w’e turn our faces towards the Great Sweet Lakes when 
Ave look towards our villages. It may be a wise country and 
full of riches towards the morning, but it is very pleasant 
towards the evening. We love most to look in that direction. 
When we gaze at the east we feel afraid, canoe after canoe 
bringing more and more of your people in the track of the sun, 
as if their land was so full as to run over. The redmen are few 
already ; they have need of help. One of our best lodges has 
lately been emptied by the death of its master ; it will be a 
long time before his son can grow big enough to sit in his place. 
There is his widow ! she will want venison to feed her and lier 
children, for her sons are yet like the young of the robin before 
they quit the nest. By your hand has this great calamity 
befallen her. She has two duties ; one to Le Loup Cervier, 
and one to his children. Scalp for scalp, life for life, blood for 
blood, is one law ; to feed her young another. We know you, 
Killer of the Deer. You are honest ; when you say a thing it 
is so. You have but one tongue, and that is not forked like a 
snake’s. Your head is never hid in the grass ; all can see it. 
What you say that will you do. You are just. When you 
have done wrong, it is your wish to do right again as soon as 
you can. Here is the Sumach ; she is alone in her wigwam, 
with children crying around her for food ; yonder is a rifle, it 
is loaded and ready to be fired. Take the gun ; go forth and 
shoot a deer ; bring the venison and lay it before the widow of 
Le Coup Cervier ; feed her children ; call yourself her husband. 
After which, your heart will no longer be Delaware but Huron ; 
Le Sumach’s ears will not hear the cries of her children ; my 
people will count the proper number of warriors.” 

“I feared this, Rivenoak,” answered Deerslayer, when the 


520 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


other had ceased speaking ; “ yes, I did dread that it would i 
come to this. Howsever, the truth is soon told, and that will 1 
put an end to all expectations on this head. Mingo, I hn white, p 
and Christian-born ; ’t would ill become me to take a wife, 
under redskin forms, from among heathen. That which I 
would n’t do in peaceable times, and under a bright sun, still 
less would I do behind clouds, in order to save my life. I may ; 
never marry ; most likely Providence, in putting me up here iu 
the woods, has intended I should live single, and without a 
lodge of my own ; but should such a thing come to pass, none 
but a woman of my own color and gifts shall darken the door i 
of my wigwam. As for feeding the young of your dead warrior, i 
I would do that cheerfully, could it be done without discredit ; j 
but it cannot, seeing that I can never live in a Huron village, j 
Your own young men must find the Sumach in venison, and ! 
the next time she marries, let her take a husband whose legs j 
are not long enough to overrun territory that don’t belong to ! ' 
him. We fou’t a fair battle, and he fell ; in this there is noth- i ' 
in’ but what a brave expects, and should be ready to meet. ; 
As for getting a Mingo heart, as well might you expect to see I 
gray hairs on a boy, or the blackberry growing on the pine, t 
No, no, Huron ; my gifts are white, so far as wives are con- | 
sarned ; it is Delaware in all things touchin’ Injins.” 

These words were scarcely out of the mouth of Deerslayer, | 
before a common murmur betrayed the dissatisfaction with j 
which they had been heard. The aged women, in particular, 
were loud in their expressions of disgust ; and the gentle | 
Sumach herself, a woman quite old enough to be our hero’s | 
mother, was not the least pacific in her denunciations. But I 
all the other manifestations of disappointment and discontent ■ 
were thrown into the background, by the fierce resentment of | 
the Panther. This grim chief had thought it a degradation to I 
permit his sister to become the wife of a pale-face of the Yen- 
geese, at all, and had only given a reluctant consent to the 


THE DEERSLAYER 


521 


arrangement — one by no means nnusiial among the Indians, 
however — at the earnest solicitations of the bereaved widow ; 
and it goaded him to the quick to find his condescension slighted, 
the honor he had with so much regret been persuaded to accord, 
contemned. The animal from which he got his name does not 
glare on his intended prey with more frightful ferocity, than 
his eyes gleamed on the captive ; nor was his arm backward 
in seconding the fierce resentment that almost consumed his 
breast. 

“ Dog of the pale-faces ! ” he exclaimed, in Iroquois, “go yell 
among the curs of your own evil hunting-gi'ounds ! ” 

The denunciation was accompanied by an appropriate action. 
Even while speaking his arm was lifted and the tomahawk 
hurled. Luckily the loud tones of the speaker had drawn the 
eye of Deerslayer towards him, else would that moment have 
probably closed his career. So great was the dexterity with 
which this dangerous weapon was thrown, and so deadly the 
intent, that it would have riven the skull of the prisoner, had 
he not stretched forth an arm, and caught the handle in one of 
its turns, with a readiness quite as remarkable as the skill witli 
which the missile had been hurled. The projectile force was 
so great, notwithstanding, that when Deerslayer’s arm was 
aiTested, his hand was raised above and behind his own head, 
and in the very attitude necessary to return the attack. It is 
not certain whether the circumstance of finding himself unex- 
pectedly in this menacing posture and armed, tempted the 
young man to retaliate, or whether sudden resentment over- 
came his forbearance and prudence. His eye kindled, however, 
and a small red spot appeared on each cheek, while he cast 
all his energy into the effort of his arm, and threw back the 
weapon at his assailant. The unexpectedness of this blow con- 
tributed to its success ; the Panther neither raising an arm nor 
bending his head to avoid it. The keen little axe struck the 
victim in a perpendicular line with the nose, directly between 


522 


THE DEERSLAYER 


the eyes, literally braining him on the spot. Sallying forward, 
as the serpent darts at its enemy even while receiving its own 
death-wound, this man of powerful frame fell his length into 
the open area formed by the circle, quivering in death. A com- 
mon rush to his relief left the captive, for a single instant, quite 
without the crowd; and, willing to make one desperate effort 
for life, he bounded off with the activity of a deer. There was 
but a breathless instant, when the whole band, old and young, 
women and children, abandoning the lifeless body of the Pan- 
ther where it lay, raised the yell of alarm, and followed in 
pursuit. 

Sudden as had been the event which induced Deerslayer to 
make this desperate trial of speed, his mind was not wholly 
unprepared for the fearful emergency. In the course of the 
past hour, he had pondered w^ell on the chances of such an 
experiment, and had shrewdly calculated all the details of suc- 
cess and failure. At the first leap, therefore, his body was com- 
pletely under the direction of an intelligence that turned all its 
efforts to the best account, and prevented everything like hesi- 
tation or indecision, at the important instant of the start. To 
this alone was he indebted for the first great advantage, that of 
getting through the line of sentinels unharmed. The manner 
in which this was done, though sufficiently simple, merits a 
description. 

Although the shores of the point were not fringed with 
bushes, as was the case with most of the others on the lake, it 
was owing altogether to the circumstance that the spot had 
been so much used by hunters and fishermen. This fringe com- 
menced on what might be termed the mainland, and was as 
dense as usual, extending in long lines both north and south. 
In the latter direction, then, Deerslayer held his way ; and, as 
the sentinels were a little without the commencement of this 
thicket before the alarm was clearly communicated to them, 
the fugitive had gained its cover. To run among the bushes. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


523 


however, was out of the question, and Deerslayer held his way 
for some forty or fifty yards in the water, which was barely 
knee deep, offering as great an obstacle to the speed of his 
pursuers as it did to his own. As soon as a favorable spot 
presented, he darted through the line of bushes, and issued into 
the open woods. 

Several rifles were discharged at Deerslayer while in the 
water, and more followed as he came out into the comparative 
exposure of the clear forest. But the direction of his line of 
flight, which partially crossed that of the fire, the haste with 
which the weapons had been aimed, and the general confusion 
that prevailed in the camp, prevented any harm from being 
done. Bullets whistled past him, and many cut twigs from 
the branches at his side, but not one touched even his dress. 
The delay caused by these fruitless attempts was of great ser- 
vice to the fugitive, who had gained more than a hundred yards 
on even the leading men of the Hurons, ere something like con- 
cert and order had entered into the chase. To think of follow- 
ing with rifle in hand was out of the question j and after 
emptying their pieces in vague hope of wounding their captive, 
the best runners of the Indians threw them aside, calling out 
to the women and boys to recover and load them again, as 

soon as possible. . i 

Deerslayer knew too well the desperate nature of the struggle 
in which he was engaged, to lose one of the precious moments. 
He also knew that his only hope was to mn in a straight line, 
for as soon as he began to turn, or double, the greater numter 
of his pursuers would put escape out of the question He 
held his way, therefore, in a diagonal direction up the acclivity, 
which was neither very high nor very steep, in this part of the 
mountain, but which was sufficiently toilsome for one contend- 
ing for life, to render it painfully oppressive. There, however, 
he slackened his speed, to recover breath, F^eeding even at a 
quick walk, or a slow trot, along the more difficult parts of the 


524 


THE DEERSLAYER 


way. The Hiirons were whooping and leaping behind himj , 
but this he disregarded, well knowing they must overcome the i 
difficulties he had surmounted, ere they could reach the eleva- 
tion to which he had attained. The summit of the first hill 
was now quite near him, and he saw, by the formation of the 
land, that a deep glen intervened, before the base of a second 
hill could be reached. Walking deliberately to the summit, he 
glanced eagerly about him, in every direction, in quest of a 
cover. None offered in the ground ; but a fallen tree lay near 
him, and desperate circumstances required desperate remedies. ; 
This tree lay in a line parallel to the glen, at the brow of the 
hill ; to leap on it, and then to force his person as close as 
possible under its lower side, took but a moment. Previously 
to disappearing from his pursuers, however, Deerslayer stood 
on the height, and gave a cry of triumph, as if exulting at the 
sight of the descent that lay before him. In the next instant 
he was stretched beneath the tree. . 

No sooner was this expedient adopted, than the young man 
ascertained how desperate had been his own efforts, by the vio- 
lence of the pulsation in his frame. He could hear his heart 
beat, and his breathing was like the action of a bellows in 
quick motion. Breath was gained, however, and the heart 
soon ceased to throb as if about to break through its confine- 
ment. The footsteps of those who toiled up the opposite side 
of the acclivity were now audible, and presently voices and 
treads announced the arrival of the pursuers. The foremost 
shouted as they reached the height ; then, fearful that their 
enemy would escape under favor of the descent, each leaped 
upon the fallen tree, and plunged into the ravine, trusting to 
get a sight of the pursued, ere he reached the bottom. In this 
manner, Huron followed Huron, until Natty began to hope the 
whole had passed. Others succeeded, however, until quite forty 
had leaped over the tree ; and then he counted them, as the 
surest mode of ascertaining how many could be behind. Pres- , 


THE DEERSLAYER 


525 


ently all were in the bottotn of the glen, quite a hundred feet 
below him, and some had even ascended part of the opposite 
hill, when it became evident an inquiry was making, as to the 
direction he had taken. This was the critical moment ; and 
one of nerves less steady, or of a training that had been neg- 
lected, would have seized it to rise and fly. Not so with Deer- 
slayer. He still lay quiet, watching with jealous vigilance every 
movement below, and fast regaining his breath. 

The Hurons now resembled a pack of hounds at fault. Little 
was said, but each man ran about, examining the dead leaves, 
as the hound hunts for the lost scent. The great number of 
moccasins that had passed made the examination diflicult, 
though the in-toe of an Indian was easily to be distinguished 
from the freer and wider step of a white man. Believing that no 
more pursuers remained behind, and hoping to steal away unseen, 
Deerslayer suddenly threw himself over the tree, and fell on the 
upper side. This achievement appeared to be effected success- 
fully, and hope beat high in the bosom of the fugitive. Rising 
. to his hands and feet, after a moment lost in listening to the 
sounds in the glen, in order to ascertain if he had been seen, 
the young man next scrambled to the top of the hill, a distance 
of only ten yards, in the expectation of getting its brow between 
him and his pursuers, and himself so far under cover. Even this 
. was effected, and he rose to his feet, walking swiftly but steadily 
along the summit, in a direction opposite to that in which he 
had first fled. The nature of the calls in the glen, however, 
soon made him uneasy, and he sprang upon the summit, again, 
in order to reconnoitre. No sooner did he reach the height 
than he was seen, and the chase renewed. As it was better 
footing on the level ground, Deerslayer now avoided the side- 
hill, holding his flight along the ridge ; while the Hurons, judg- 
ing from the general formation of the land, saw that the ridge 
would soon melt into the hollow, and kept to the latter, as the 
easiest mode of heading the fugitive. A few, at the same time,. 


526 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


turned south, with a view to prevent his escaping in that direc- ; 
tion ; while some crossed his trail towards the water, in order | 
to prevent his retreat by the lake, running southerly. 

The situation of Deerslayer was now more critical than it ever j 
had been. He was virtually surrounded on three sides, having [ 
tlie lake on the fourth. But he had pondered well on all the 
chances, and took his measures with coolness, even while at the 
top of his speed. As is generally the case with the vigorous 
border-men, he could outrun any single Indian among his pur- 
suers, who were principally formidable to him on account of f 
their numbers, and the advantages they possessed in position ; | 
and he would not have hesitated to break otf, in a straight line, * 
at any spot, could he have got the whole band again fairly be- i 
hind him. But no such chance did, or indeed could now offer ; t 
and when he found that he was descending towards the glen, by I 
the melting away of the ridge, he turned short, at right angles | 
to his previous course, ami went down the declivity with tre- j 
mendous velocity, holding his way towards the shore. Some of ■ 
his pursuers came panting up the hill, in direct chase, while 
most still kept on, in the ravine, intending to head him at its 
termination. Deerslayer had now a different, though a desper- ; 
ate project in view. Abandoning all thoughts of escape by the | 
woods, he made the best of his way towards the canoe. He i 
knew where it lay : could it be reached, he had only to run the 
gauntlet of a few rifles, and success would be certain. None of 
the warriors had kept their weapons, which would have retarded 
their speed, and the risk would come either from the uncertain 
hands of the women, or from those of some well-grown boy ; 
though most of the latter were already out in hot pursuit. 
Everything seemed propitious to the execution of this plan, 
and the course being a continued descent, the young man went 
over the ground at a rate that promised a speedy termination 
to his toil. 

As Deerslayer approached the point, several women and chil- 


THE DEERSLA YER 


527 


(Iren were passed, but, though the former endeavored to cast 
dried branches between his legs, the terror inspired by his bold 
retaliation on the redoubted Panther was so great, that none 
|j! dared come near enough seriously to molest him. He went by 
I all triumphantly, and reached the fringe of bushes. Plunging 
ji through these, our hero found himself once more in the lake and 
t within fifty feet of the canoe. Here he ceased to run, for he 
I well understood that his breath was now all-important to him. 
He even stooped, as he advanced, and cooled his parched mouth, 

? by scooping up water in his hand to drink. Still the moments 
; pressed, and he soon stood at the side of the canoe. The first 
i glance told him that the paddles had been removed ! This 
i was a sore disappointment after all his efforts, and, for a single 
moment, he thought of turning and of facing his foes by walking 
j with dignity into the centre of the camp again. But an infernal 
jyell, such as the American savage alone can raise, proclaimed the 
^ quick approach of the nearest of his pursuers, and the instinct 
, of life triumphed. Preparing himself duly, and giving a right 
direction to its bows, he ran off into the water bearing the canoe 
before him, threw all his strength and skill into a last effort, 
and cast himself forward so as to fall into the bottom of the 
light craft, without materially impeding its way. Here he 
remained on his back, both to regain his breath and to cover 
his person from the deadly rifle. The lightness, which was 
such an advantage in paddling the canoe, now operated unfavor- 
ably. The material was so like a feather that the boat had no 
momentum ; else would the impulse in that smooth and placid 
sheet have impelled it to a distance from the shore, that would 
have renderecl paddling with the hands safe. Could such 
a point once be reached, Deerslayer thought he might get far 
enough out to attract the attention of Chingachgook and 
Judith, who would not fail to come to his relief with other 
canoes, a circumstance that promised everything. As the 
young man lay in the bottom of the canoe he watched its 


528 


THE DEERSLAYER 


movements, by t;tudying the tops of the trees on the mountain- 
side, and judged of his distance by the time and the motion. 
Voices on the shore were now numerous, and he heard some- 
thing said about manning the raft, which fortunately for the 
fugitive lay at a considerable distance on the other side of the 
point. 

Perhaps the situation of Deerslayer had not been more criti- 
cal that day than it was at this moment. It certainly had not 
been one half as tantalizing. He lay perfectly quiet for two or 
three minutes, trusting to the single sense of hearing, confident 
that the noise on the lake would reach his ears, did any one 
approach by swimming. Once or twice he fancied that the 
element was stirred by the cautious movement of an arm, and 
then he perceived it was the wash of the water on the pebbles 
of the strand ; for in mimicry of the ocean, it is seldom that 
those little lakes are so totally tranquil, as not to possess a 
slight heaving and setting on their shores. Suddenly all the 
voices ceased, and a death-like stillness pervaded the spot ; a 
quietness as profound as if all lay in the repose of inanimate 
life. By this time the canoe had drifted so far as to render 
nothing visible to Deerslayer, as he lay on his back, except the 
blue void of space, and a few of those brighter rays that proceed 
from the effulgence of the sun, marking his proximity. It was 
not possible to endure this uncertainty long. The young man ; 
well knew that the profound stillness foreboded evil, the sav- 
ages never being so silent as when about to strike a blow ; re- 
sembling the stealthy foot of the panther ere he takes his leap. ; 
He took out a knife, and was about to cut a hole through the 
bark in order to get a view of the shore, when he paused from i 
a dread of being seen in the operation, which would direct the 
enemy wliere to aim their bullets. At this instant a rifle wa& 
fired, and the ball pierced both sides of the canoe, within eigh- 
teen inches of the spot where his head lay. This was close 
work, but our hero had too lately gone through that which was ' 


THE DEERS LA YER 


529 


( closer, to be appalled. He lay still half a minute longer, and 
then he saw the summit of an oak coming slowly within his 
narrow horizon. 

I * Unable to account for this change, Deerslayer could restrain 
!! his impatience no longer. Hitching his body along, with the 
utmost caution, he got his eye at the bullet-hole, and fortu- 
• nately commanded a very tolerable view of the point. The 
canoe, by one of those imperceptible impulses that so often 
! decide the fate of men, as well as the course of things, had 
inclined southerly, and was slowly drifting down the lake. It 
was lucky that Deerslayer had given it a shove sutiiciently vig- 
I orous to send it past the end of the point ere it took this 
" inclination, or it must have gone ashore again. As it was, it 
I drifted so near it as to bring the tops of two or three of the 
trees within the range of the young man’s view, as has been 
mentioned, and, indeed, to come in quite as close proximity 
with the extremity of the point as was at all safe. The dis- 
tance could not much have exceeded a hundred feet, though 
fortunately a light current of air from the southwest began to 
set it slowly off shore. 

j Deerslayer now felt the urgent necessity of resorting to some 
I expedient to get farther from his foes, and, if possible, to 
! apprise his friends of his situation. The distance rendered the 

last difficult, while the proximity to the point rendered the first 
indispensable. As was usual in such craft, a large, round, 
smooth stone was in each end of the canoe, for the double pur- 
pose of seats and ballast ; one of these was within reach of his 
feet. The stone he contrived to get so far between his legs as 
to reach it with his hands, and then he managed to roll it to 
the side of its fellow in the bows, where the two served to keep 
the trim of the light boat, while he worked his own body as 
far aft as possible. Before quitting the shore, and as soon as 
he perceived that the paddles were gone, Deerslayer had thrown 
a bit of dead branch into the canoe, and this was within 

2 M 


530 


THE DEERSLA YER 


reach of his arm. Removing the cap he wore, he put it on the 
end of this stick, and just let it appear over the edge of the canoe, 
as far as possible from his own person. This 7'use was scarcely 
adopted, before the young man had proof how much he had 
underrated the intelligence of his enemies. In contempt of an ! 
artifice so shallow and commonplace, a bullet was fired directly ' 
through another part of the canoe, which actually razed his 
skin. He dropped the cap, and instantly raised it immediately ! 
over his head, as a safeguard. It would seem that this second 
artifice was unseen, or what was more probable, the Hurons, I 
feeling certain of recovering their captive, wished to take him 
alive. 

Deerslayer lay passive a few minutes longer, his eye at the i 
bullet-hole, however, and much did he rejoice at seeing that he i 
was drifting gradually farther and farther from the shore. 
When he looked upward, the tree-tops had disappeared, but 
he soon found that the canoe was slowly turning, so as to pre- 
vent his getting a view of anything at his peep-hole, but of the ' 
two extremities of the lake. He now bethought him of the 
stick, which was crooked, and offered some facilities for rowing, 
without the necessity of rising. The experiment succeeded, on 
trial, better even than he had hoped, though his great embar- i 
rassment was to keep the canoe straight. That his present 
manoeuvre was seen soon became apparent by the clamor on 
the shore, and a bullet entering the stern of the canoe, traversed 
its length, whistling between the arms of our hero, and passed 
out at the head. This satisfied the fugitive that he was get- 
ting away with tolerable speed, and induced him to increase 
his efibrts. He was making a stronger push than common, 
when another messenger from the point broke the stick out- 
board, and at once deprived him of his oar. As the sound of 
voices seemed to grow more and more distant, however, Deer- 
slayer determined to leave all to the drift, until he believed 
himself beyond the reach of bullets. This was nervous work, 


THE DEERSLAYER 


531 


but it was the wisest of all the expedients that offered ; and 
the young man was encouraged to persevere in it, by the cir- 
cumstance that he felt his face fanned by the air, a proof that 
there was a little more wind. 


CHAPTER XXVIII 

“ Nor widows’ tears, nor tender orphans’ cries 
Can stop th’ invaders’ force ; 

Nor swelling seas, nor threatening skies, 

Prevent the pirates’ course : 

Their lives to selfish ends decreed, 

Through blood and rapine they proceed-; 

No anxious thoughts of ill-repute, 

Suspend the impetuous and unjust pursuit; 

But power and wealth obtained, guilty and great. 

Their fellow-creatures’ fears they raise, or urge their hate.” 

Congreve. 

By this time, Deerslayer had been twenty minutes in the 
canoe, and he began to grow a little impatient for some signs 
of relief from his friends. The position of the boat still pre- 
vented his seeing in any direction, unless it were uj) or down 
the lake ; and, though he knew that this line of sight must 
pass within a hundred yards of the castle, it, in fact, passed 
that distance to the westward of the buildings. The profound 
stillness troubled him also, for he knew not whether to ascribe 
it to the increasing space between him and the Indians, or to 
some new artifice. At length, wearied with fruitless watchful- 
ness, the young man turaed himself on his back, closed his 
eyes, and awaited the result in determined acquiescence. If 
the savages could so completely control their thirst for revenge, 
he was resolved to be as calm as themselves, and to trust his 
fate to the interposition of the currents and air. 


532 


THE JJEERSLA YER 


Some additional ten minutes may have passed in this quies- 
cent manner, on both sides, when Deerslayer thought he heard 
a slight noise, like a low rubbing against the bottom of his 
canoe. He opened his eyes, of course, in expectation of seeing 
the face or arm of an Indian rising from the water, and found 
that a canopy of leaves was impending directly over his head. 
Starting to his feet, the first object that met his eyes was Riv- 
enoak, who had so far aided the slow progress of the boat, as 
to draw it on the point, the grating on the strand being the 
sound that had first given our hero the alarm. The change in 
the drift of the canoe had been altogether owing to the baffling 
nature of the light currents of air, aided by some eddies in the 
water. 

“ Come,” said the Huron, with a quiet gesture of authority 
to order his prisoner to land ; “my young friend has sailed about 
till he is tired ; he will forget how to run again, unless he uses 
his legs.” 

“You Ve the best of it, Huron,” returned Deerslayer, step- 
ping steadily from the canoe, and passively following his leader 
to the open area of the point ; “ Providence has helped you in 
an onexpected manner. I’m your prisoner ag’in, and I hope 
you ’ll allow that I ’m as good at breaking jail as I am at keep- 
ing furlough.” 

“ My young friend is a moose ! ” exclaimed the Huron. 
“His legs are very long ; they have given my young men trou- 
ble. But he is not a fish ; he cannot find his way in the lake. 
We did not shoot him ; fish are taken in nets, and not killed 
by bullets. When he turns moose again he will be treated like 
a moose.” 

“Ay, have your talk, Rivenoak ; make the most of your 
advantage. ’T is your right, I suppose, and I know it is your 
gift. On that p’int there ’ll be no words atween us ; for all 
men must and ought to follow their gifts. Howsever, when 
your Avomen begin to ta’nt and abuse me, as I suppose will 


THE DKERSLAYER 


533 


soon happen, let ’em remember that if a pale-face struggles for 
life so long as it ’s lawful and manful, he knows how to loosen 
his hold on it, decently, when he feels that the time has come. 
I ’m your captyve ; work your will on me.” 

“ My brother has had a long run on the hills, and a pleasant 
sail on the water,” returned Rivenoak, more mildly, smiling, at 
the same time, in a way that his listener knew denoted pacific 
intentions. “ He has seen the woods ; he has seen the water ; 
which does he like best 1 Perhaps he has seen enough to change 
his mind and make him hear reason.” 

“ Speak out, Huron. Something is in your thoughts, and 
the sooner it is said, the sooner you ’ll get my answer.” 

“ That is straight ! There is no turning in the talk of my pale- 
face friend, though he is a fox in running. I will speak to 
him ; his ears are now open wider than before, and his eyes are 
not shut. The Sumach is poorer than ever. Once she had a 
brother and a husband. She' had children too. The time came, 
and the husband started for the happy hunting-grounds, with- 
out saying farew^ell ; he left her alone with his children. This 
he could not help, or he would not have done it ; Le Loup Cer- 
vier was a good husband. It was pleasant to see the venison, 
and wild ducks, and geese, and bear’s meat, that hung in his 
lodge, in winter. It is now gone ; it will not keep in warm 
weather. Who shall bring it back again ? Some thought the 
brother would not forget his sister, and that, next winter, he 
would see that the lodge should not be empty. We thought 
this ; but the Panther yelled, and followed the husband on the 
path of death. They are now trying which shall first reach 
the happy hunting-grounds. Some think the Lynx can run 
fastest, and some think the Panther can jump the farthest. 
The Sumach thinks both will travel so fast and so far, that 
neither will ever come back. Who shall feed her and her 
young? The man who told her husband and her brother to 
quit her lodge, that there might be room for him to come into 


534 


THE DEERSLA YER 


it. He is a great hunter, and we know that the woman will 
never want.” 

“ Ay, Huron, this is soon settled, accordin’ to your notions ; 
but it goes sorely ag’in the grain of a white man’s feelin’s. I ’ve 
heard of men’s saving their lives thisaway, and I ’ve know’d 
them that would prefer death to such a sort of captivity. For 
my part, I do not seek my ind ; nor do I seek matrimony.” 

“ The pale-face will think of this while my people get ready 
for the council. He will be told what will happen. Let him 
remember how hard it is to lose a husband and a brother. Go : 
when we want him, the name of Deerslayer will be called.” 

This conversation had been held with no one near but the 
speakers. Of all the band that had so lately thronged the 
place, Rivenoak alone was visible. The rest seemed to have 
totally abandoned the spot. Even the furniture, clothes, arms, 
and other property of the camp had entirely disappeared, and 
the place bore no other proofs of the crowd that had so lately 
occupied it, than the traces of their fires and resting-places, and 
the trodden earth that still showed the marks of their feet. So 
sudden and unexpected a change caused Deerslayer a good deal 
of surprise and some uneasiness, for he had never known it to 
occur in the course of his experience among the Delawares. He 
suspected, however, and rightly, that a change of encampment 
was intended, and that the mystery of the movement was re- 
sorted to in order to work on his apprehensions. 

Rivenoak walked up the vista of trees, as soon as he ceased 
speaking, leaving Deerslayer by himself. The chief disappeared 
behind the covers of the forest, and one unpractised in such 
scenes might have believed the prisoner left to the dictates of 
his own judgment. But the young man, while he felt a little 
amazement at the dramatic aspect of things, knew his enemies 
too well to fancy himself at liberty, or a free agent. Still, he 
was ignorant how far the Hurons meant to carry their artifices, 
and he determined to bring the question, as soon as practicable. 


THE DEERSLA YER 


535 


to the proof. Affecting an indifference he was far from feeling, 
he strolled about the area, gradually getting nearer and nearer 
to the spot where he had landed, when he suddenly quickened 
his pace, though carefully avoiding all appearance of flight, and, 
pushing aside the bushes, he stepped upon the beach. The 
canoe was gone, nor could he see any traces of it, after walking 
! to the northern and southern verges of the point, and examining 
the shores in both directions. It was evidently removed beyond 
his reach and knowledge, and under circumstances to show that 
such had been the intention of the savages. 

Deerslayer now better understood his actual situation. He 
w^as a prisoner on the narrow tongue of land, vigilantly watched 
beyond a question, and with no other means of escape than that 
of swimming. He again thought of this last expedient, but the 
certainty that the canoe would be sent in chase, and the desper- 
ate nature of the chances of success, deterred him from the 
: undertaking. While on the strand, he came to a spot where 
i the bushes had been cut, and thrown into a small pile. Remov- 
; ing a few of the upper branches, he found beneath them the 
I dead body of the Panther. He knew that it was kept until 
: the savages might find a place to inter it, when it wotdd be 
! beyond the reach of the scalping-knife. He gazed wistfully 
towards the castle, but there all seemed to be silent and deso- 
I late ; and a feeling of loneliness and desertion came over him 
1 to increase the gloom of the moment. 

I “ God’s will be done ! ” murmured the young man, as he 
“ walked sorrowfully away from the beach, entering again beneath 
I the arches of the wood ; “ God’s will be done on ’arth as it is 
in heaven ! I did hope that my days would not be numbered 
so soon ! but it matters little, a’ter all. A few more winters, 
and a few more summers, and ’t would have been over accordin’ 
to natur’. Ah ’s me ! the young and active seldom think death 
possible, till he grins in their faces and tells ’em the hour is 
come ! ” 


53G 


THE DEERS LA YER 


While this soliloquy was being pronounced, the hunter 
advanced into the area, where, to his surprise, he saw Hetty 
alone, evidently awaiting his return. The girl carried the Bible 
under her arm, and her face, over which a shadow of gentle 
melancholy was usually thrown, now seemed sad and downcast. 
Moving nearer, Deerslayer spoke. 

“ Poor Hetty,” he said, “ times have been so troublesome of 
late that I ’d altogether forgotten you ; we meet, as it might 
be, to mourn over what is to happen. I wonder what has 
become of Chingachgook and Wah ! ” 

“Why did you kill the Huron, Deerslayer?” returned the 
girl, reproachfully. “Don’t you know your commandments, 
which say, ‘ Thou shalt not kill ! ’ They tell me you have now 
slain the woman’s husband and brother.” 

“ It ’s true, my good Hetty, ’t is Gospel tnith, and I ’ll not 
deny what has come to pass. But you must remember, gal, 
that many things are lawful in war, which would be unlawful 
in peace. The husband was shot in open fight ; or open so far 
as I was consarned, while he had a better cover than common ; 
and the brother brought his end on himself, by casting his toma- 
hawk 'at an unarmed prisoner. Did you witness that deed, 
gal?” 

“I saw it, and was sorry it happened, Deerslayer; for I 
hoped you would n’t have returned blow for blow, but good for 
evil.” ' 

“ Ah, Hetty, that may do among the missionaries, but ’t would 
make an onsartain life in the woods. The Panther craved my 
blood, and he was foolish enough to throw arms into my hands 
at the very moment he was striving a’ter it. ’T would have 
been ag’in natur’ not to raise a hand in such a trial, and ’t would 
have done discredit to .my training and gifts. No, no ; I ’m as 
willing to give every man his own, as another ; and so I hope 
you ’ll testify to them that will be likely to question you as to 
what you ’ve seen this day.” 


THE , DEERSLA YER 


537 


“ Deerslayer, do you mean to marry Sumach, now she has 
neither husband nor brother to feed her ? ” 

“Are such your idees of matrimony, Hetty? Ought the 
young to wive with the old — the pale-face with the redskin — 
the Christian with the heathen ? It ’s ag’in reason and natur’, 
and so you ’ll see if you ’ll think of it a moment.” 

“ I ’ve always heard mother say,” returned Hetty, averting 
her face, more from a feminine instinct than from any conscious- 
ness of wrong, “that people should never rnaiTy until they 
loved each other better than brothers and sisters ; and I sup- 
pose that is what you mean. Sumach is old, and you are 
young.” 

“ Ay, and she ’s red, and I ’m white. Besides, Hetty, suppose 
you was a wife, having married some young man of your own 
years, and state, and color — Hurry Harry, for instance,” — 
Deerslayer selected this example, simply from the circumstance 
that he was the only young man known to both, — “and that 
he had fallen on a war-path, would you wish to take to your 
bosom, for a husband, the man that slew him ? ” 

“ 0 ! no, no, no,” returned the girl, shuddering. “ T/iaf 
would be wicked, as well as heartless ! No Christian girl 
could or would do that. I never shall be the wife of Huny, I 
know; but were he my husband, no man should ever be it 
again after his death.” 

“ I thought it would get to this, Hetty, when you come to 
understand sarcumstances. ’Tis a moral impossibility that I 
should ever marry Sumach ; and though Injin weddin’s have 
no priests, and not much religion, a white man who knows his 
gifts and duties can’t profit by that, and so make his escape at 
the fitting time. I do think death would be more nat’ral-like, 
and welcome, than wedlock Avith this woman.” 

“ Don’t say it too loud,” interrupted Hetty, impatiently ; “I 
suppose she will not like to hear it. I ’m sure Hurry would 
rather marry even me, tlian suffer torments, though I am feeble- 


538 


THE DEERSL.^YER 


minded ; and I am sure it would kill me to think lie ’d prefer 
death to being my husband.” 

“ Ay, gal ; you ain’t Sumach, but a comely young Christian, 
with a good heart, pleasant smile, and kind eye. Hurry might 
be proud to get you, and that, too, not in misery and sorrow,' 
but in his best and happiest days. Howsever, take my advice, 
and never talk to Hurry about these things; he’s only a bor- 
derer, at the best.” 

“I wouldn’t tell him for the world!” exclaimed the girl, 
looking about her, like one atfrighted, and blushing, she knew 
not why. “ Mother always said young women should n’t be for- 
ward, and speak their minds before they ’re asked ; 0 ! I never 
forget what mother told me. ’T is a pity Hurry is so handsome, 
Deerslayer ; I do think fewer girls would like him then, and he 
would sooner know his own mind.” 

“ Poor gal, poor gal, it ’s plain enough how it is ; but the 
Lord will bear in mind one of your simple heart and kind feelin’s 1 
We’ll talk no more of these things; if you had reason, you’d 
be sorrowful at having let others so much into your secret. 
Tell me, Hetty, what has become of all the Hurons, and why 
they let you roam about the p’int, as if you, too, was a prisoner ! ” 

“ I ’m no prisoner, Deerslayer, but a free girl, and go when 
and where I please. Nobody dare hurt me ! If they did, God 
would be angry — as I can show them in the Bible. No — no 
— Hetty Hutter is not afraid ; die ’s in good hands. The 
Hurons are up yonder in the woods, and keep a good watch on 
us both, I ’ll answer for it, since all the women and children are 
on the look-out. Some are burying the body of the poor girl 
who was shot, so that the enemy and the wild beasts can’t find 
it. I told ’em that father and mother lay in the lake, but I 
wouldn’t let them know in what part of itj for Judith and I; 
don’t want any of their heathenish company in our burying- 
ground.” 

“All’s me! Well it fs an awful dispatch to be standing- 


THE DEERSLAYER 


539 


here, alive and angry, and with the feelin’s up and furious, one 
hour, and then to be carried away at the next, and put out of 
sight of mankind in a hole in the ’arth. No one knows what 
will happen to him on a war-path, that ’s sartain.” 

Here the stirring of leaves and the cracking of dried twigs 
interrupted the discourse, and apprised Deerslayer of the 
approach of his enemies. The Hurons closed around the spot 
that had been prepared lor the coming scene, in a circle — the 
armed men being so distributed among the feebler members of 
the band, that there was no safe opening through which the 
prisoner could break. But the latter no longer contemplated 
flight ; the recent trial having satisfied him of his inability to 
escape, when pursued so closely by numbers. On the contrary, 
all his energies were aroused, in order to meet his expected fate 
with a calmness that should do credit to his color and his man- 
hood ; one equally removed from recreant alarm and savage 
boasting. 

When Rivenoak reappeared in the circle, he occupied his old 
place at the head of the area. Several of the elder warriors 
stood near him ; but, now that the brother of Sumach had 
fallen, there was no longer any recognized chief present, whose 
influence and authority offered a dangerous rivalry to his own. 
Nevertheless, it is well known that little which could be called 
monarchical or despotic entered into the politics of the North 
American tribes, although the first colonists, bringing with them 
to this hemisphere the notions and opinions of their own coun- 
tries, often dignified the chief men of those primitive nations 
i with the titles of kings and princes. Hereditary influence did 
i certainly exist ; but there is much reason to believe it existed 
! rather as a consequence of hereditary merit and acquired qual- 
i ifications, than as a birthright. Rivenoak, however, had not 
I even this claim — having risen to consideration purely by the 
force of talents, sagacity, and, as Bacon expresses it, in relation 
I to all distinguished statesmen, “ by a union of great and mean 


540 


THE DKERSLA YER 


qualities ” ; a truth of which the career of the profound Eng- 
lishman himself furnishes so apt an illustration. 

Next to arms, eloquence offers the great avenue to popular 
fiivor whether it be in civilized or savage life ; and Rivenoak 
had succeeded as so many have succeeded before him, quite as 
much by rendering fallacies acceptable to his listeners, as by 
any profound or learned expositions of truth, or the accuracy i 
of his logic. Nevertheless, he had influence; and was far from , 
being altogether without just claims to its possession. Like'j 
most men who reason more than they feel, the Huron was not * 
addicted to the indulgence of the mere ferocious passions of his 
people ; he had been commonly found on the side of mercy, in' 
all the scenes of vindictive torture and revenge that had occurred' 
in his tribe, since his own attainment to power. On the present' 
occasion, he was reluctant to proceed to extremities, although' 
the provocation was so great ; still it exceeded liis ingenuity to^ I 
see how that alternative could well be avoided. Sumach re- j 
sented her rejection more than she did the deaths of her hus- l 
band and brother, and there was little probability that the' 
woman would pardon a man who had so unequivocally preferred- 
death to her embraces. Without her forgiveness, there was scarce 
a hope that the tribe could be induced to overlook its loss ; and 
oven to Rivenoak himself, much as he was disposed to pardon,' 
the fote of our hero now appeared to be almost hopelessly sealed. 

When the whole band was arrayed around the captive, a j 
grave silence, so much the more threatening from its profound 
quiet, peiwaded the place. Deerslayer perceived that the 
women and boys had been preparing splinters of the fat pine 
roots, which he well knew were to be stuck into his flesh 
and set in flames, while two or three of the young men held 
the thongs of bark with which he was to be bound. The 
smoke of a distant Are announced that the burning brands^ 
were in preparation, and several of the elder warriors passed^ 
their fingers over the edges of their tomahawks, as if to prove ! 


THE ])EEliSLAYKK 


their keenness and temper. Even the knives seemed loosened 
in their sheaths, impatient for the bloody and merciless work 
to begin. 

“ Killer of the Deer,” recommenced Rivenoak, certainly with- 
out any signs of sympathy or pity in his manner, though with 
calmness and dignity, “ Killer of the Deei-, it is time that my 
people knew their minds. The sun is no longer over our 
heads ; tired of waiting on the Hurons, he has begun to fall 
near the pines on this side of the valley. He is travelling fast 
towards the country of our French fathers ; it is to warn his 
children that their lodges are empty, and that they ought to be 
at home. The roaming wolf has his den, and he goes to it 
when he wishes to see his young. The Iroquois are not 
poorer than the wolves. They have villages, and wigwams, 
and fields of corn; the good spirits will be tired of watching 
them alone. My people must go back and see to their own 
business. There will be joy in the lodges when they hear our 
whoop from the forest ! It will be a sorrowful whoop ; when 
it is understood, grief will come after it. There will be one 
scalp- whoop, but there will be only one. We have the fur of 
the Muskrat ; his body is among the fishes. Deerslayer must 
say whether another scalp shall be on our pole. Two lodges 
are empty ; a scalp, living or dead, is wanted on each door.” 

“ Then take ’em dead, Huron,” firmly, but altogether without 
dramatic boasting, returned the captive. “ My hour is come, I 
do suppose ; and what must be, must. ' If you are bent on the 
tortur’, I ’ll do my indivors to bear up ag’in it, though no man 
can say how far his natur’ will stand pain, until he ’s been tried.” 

“The pale-face cur begins to put his tail between his 
legs ! ” cried a young and garrulous savage, who bore the 
appropriate title of the Corbeau Rouge ; a sobriquet he had 
gained from the French, by his facility in making unseasonable 
noises, and an undue tendency to hear his own voice ; “ he is 
no warrior; he has killed the Loup Cervier when looking 


542 


THE DEERSLAYER 


behind him not to see the flash of his own rifle. He gnmts j 
like a hog, already ; when the Huron women begin to torment 
him, he will cry like the young of the catamount. He is a 
Delaware woman, dressed in the skin of a Yengeese ! ” 

“ Have your say, young man ; have your say,” returned 
Deerslayer, unmoved; “you know no better, and I can over- 
look it. Talking may aggravate women, but can hardly make 
knives sharper, fire hotter, or rifles more sartain.” 

Rivenoak now interfered, reproving the Red Crow for his 
premature interference, and then directing the proper persons 
to bind the captive. This expedient was adopted, not from 
any apprehensions that he would escape, or from any necessity 
that was yet apparent, of liis being unable to endure the 
torture with his limbs free, but from an ingenious design of 
making him feel his helplessness, and of gradually sapping his 
resolution, by underm’ ning it, as it might be, little by little. 
Deerslayer otfereil no resistance. He submitted his arms and 
legs, freely if not cheerfully, to the ligaments of bark, which j 
were bound around them, by order of the chief, in a way to 
produce as little pain as possible. These directions were secret, 
and given in a hope that the captive would Anally save himself 
from any serious bodily suffering, by consenting to take the 
Sumach for a wife. As soon as the body of Deerslayer was s 
withed in bark sufficiently to create a lively sense of helpless- I 
ness, he was literally carried to a young tree, and bound against | 
it, in a way that effectually prevented him from moving, as 
well as from falling. The hands were laid flat against the 
legs, and thongs were passed ovef all, in a way nearly to incor- 
porate the prisoner with the treef*” His cap was then removed, I 
and he was left half-standing^ half-sustained by his bonds, to j 
face the coming scene in the best manner he could. ■ | 

Previously to proceeding to anything like extremities, it was- 1 
the wish of Rivenoak to put his captive’s resolution to the 
proof, by renewing the attempt at a compromise. This coukh j 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


543 


be effected only in one manner, the acquiescence of the Sumach 
being indispensably necessary to a comi)romise of her right to 
be revenged. With this view, then, the woman was next 
desired to advance, and to look to her own interest ; no agent 
being considered as efficient as the principal herself in this 
negotiation. The Indian females, when girls, are usually mild 
, and submissive, with musical tones, pleasant voices, and merry 
laughs ; but toil and suffering generally deprive them of most 
of these advantages by the time they have reached an age 
which the Sumach had long before passed. To render their 
voices harsh, it would seem to require active, malignant pas- 
sions, though, when excited, their screams can rise to a suffi- 
ciently conspicuous degree of discordancy to assert their claim 
to possess this distinctive peculiarity of the sex. The Sumach 
was not altogether without feminine attraction, however, and 
, had so recently been deemed handsome in her tribe, as not to 
have yet learned the full influence that time and exposure pro- 
duce on man as well as on woman. By an arrangement of 
‘ Rivenoak’s, some of the women around her had been employing 
the time in endeavoring to persuade the bereaved widow that 
. there was still a hope Deerslayer might be prevailed on to enter 
her wigwam, in preference to entering the world of spirits, and 
. this, too, with a success that previous symptoms scarcely justified. 

1 All this was the result of a resolution on the part of the chief to 
leave no proper means unemployed, in order to get the greatest 
■ hunter that was then thought to exist in all that region, trans- 
, ferred to his own nation, as well as a husband for a woman who 
i he felt would be likely to be troublesome, were any of her claims 
I to the attention and care of the tribe overlooked. 

I In conformity with this scheme the Sumach had been secretly 
I advised to advance into the circle, and to make her appeal to 
I the prisoner’s sense of justice before the band had recourse to 
! the last experiment. The woman, nothing loath, consented ; 

I for there was some such attraction in becoming the wife of a 


544 


TmJ DEEUSLA YER 


noted hunter, among the females of the tribes, as is experienced 
by the sex in more refined life when they bestow their hands 
on the affluent. As the duties of a mother were thought to 
be paramount to all other considerations, the widow felt none 
of that embarrassment in preferring her claims, to which even 
a female fortune-hunter among ourselves might be liable. 
When she stood forth before the whole party, therefore, the chil- 
dren that she led by the hand fully justified all she did. 

“You see me before you, cruel pale-face,” the woman 
commenced; “your spirit must tell you my errand. I have 
found you ; I cannot find Le Loup Cervier, nor the Panther ; 
I have looked for them in the lake, in the woods, in the clouds. 
I cannot say where they have gone.” 

“No man knows, good Sumach, no man knows,” interposed 
the captive. “ When the spirit leaves the boily it passes into 
a world beyond our knowledge, and the wisest way for them 
tliat are left behind is to hope for the best. No doubt both 
your warriors have gone to the happy hunting-grounds, and at 
tlie proper time you will see ’em ag’in in their improved state. 
The wife and sister of braves must have looked forward to 
some such tarmination of their ’arthly careers.” 

“ Cruel pale-face, what had my warriors done that you 
should slay them'? They were the best hunters and the 
boldest young men of their tribe; the Great Spirit intended 
that they should live until they withered like the branches of 
the hemlock, and fell of their own weight.” 

“ Nay, nay, good Sumach,” interrupted the Deerslayer, 
whose love of truth was too indomitable to listen to such hyper- 
bole with patience, even though it came from the torn breast 
of a widow, “ nay, nay, good Sumach, this is a little outdoing 
redskin privileges. Young man was neither, any more than 
you can be called a young woman ; and as to the Great Spirit’s 
intending that they should fall otherwise than they did, that ’s 
a grievous mistake, inasmuch as what the Great Spirit intends is 


THE DEERS LA YER 


545 


sartain to come to pass. Then, ag'in, it ’s plain enough neither 
of your fri’iids did me any harm. I raised my hand ag’in ’em on 
account of what they were striving to do, rather than what they 
did. This is nat’ral law, ‘to do, lest you should be done by.’” 

“It is so. Sumach has but one tongue ; she can tell but 
one story. The pale-face struck the Hurons, lest the Hurons 
should strike him. The Hurons are a just nation ; they will 
forget it. The chiefs will shut their eyes, and pretend not to 
have seen it. The young men will believe the Panther and the 
Lynx have gone to far-ott* hunts ; and the Sumach will take her 
children by the hand, and go into the lodge of the pale-face, and 
say, ‘ See ! these are your children — they are also mine ; feed 
us, and we will live with you.’ ” 

“ The tarms are onadmissible, woman ; and though I feel 
for your losses, which must be hard to bear, the tarms cannot 
be accepted. As to givin’ you ven’son, in case we lived near 
enough together, that would be no great expl’ite; but as for 
becomin’ your husband, and the father of your children, to be 
honest with you, I feel no callin’ thataway.” 

“ Look at this boy, cruel pale-face ; he has no father to teach 
him to kill the deer, or to take scalps. See this girl; what 
young man will come to look for a wife in a lodge that has no 
head ? There are more among my people in the Canadas, and 
the Killer of Deer will find as many mouths to feed as his heart 
can wish for.” 

“ I tell you, woman,” exclaimed Deerslayer, whose imagina- 
tion was far from seconding the appeal of the widow, and who 
began to grow restive under the vivid pictures she was drawing, 
“ all this is nothing to me. People and kindred must take care 
of their own fatherless, leaving them that have no children to 
their own loneliness. As for me, I have no offspring, and I 
want no wife. Now, go away. Sumach ; leave me in the hands 
of your chiefs ; for my color, and gifts, and natur’ itself, cry out 
ag’in the idee of taking you for a wife.” 

2n 


m 


THE DEERSLAYER 


It is unnecessary to expatiate on the effect of this downright | 
refusal of the woman’s proposals. If there was anything like | 
tenderness in her bosom, — and no woman was probably ever 
entirely without that feminine quality, — it all disappeared at ^ 
this plain announcement. Fury, rage, mortified pride, and a I 
volcano of wrath, burst out at one explosion, converting her ■ 
into a sort of maniac, as it might be at the touch of a ma- § 
gician’s wand. Without deigning a reply in wmrds, she made I 
the arches of the forest ring with screams, and then flew for- j] 
ward at her victim, seizing him by the hair, which she appeared 
resolute to draw out by the roots. It was some time before her 
grasp could be loosened. Fortunately for the prisoner, her rage 
was blind, since his total helplessness left him entirely at her 
mercy ; had it been better directed, it might have proved fatal \ 
before any relief could have been offered. As it was, she did ' 
succeed in wrenching out two or three handfuls of hair, before ; 
the young men could tear her away from her victim. 1 

The insult that had been offered to the Sumach w^as deemed j! 
an insult to the whole tribe ; not so much, however, on account ' 
of any respect that was felt for the woman, as on account of the 
honor of the Huron nation. Sumach, herself, was generally 
considered to be as acid as the berry from which she derived her 
name ; and now that her great supporters, her husband and 
brother, were both gone, few cared about concealing their aver- 
sion. Nevertheless, it had become a point of honor to punish j 
the pale-face who disdained a Huron woman, and more par- \ 
ticularly, one who coolly preferred death to relieving the tribe \ 
from the support of a widow and her children. The young I 
men showed an impatience to begin to torture, that Rivenoak j 
understood ; and as his elder associates manifested no disposi- { 
tion to permit any longer delay, he was compelled to give the ^ 
signal for the infernal w'ork to proceed. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


547 


CHAPTER XXIX 

“ The ugly bear now minded not the stake, 

Nor how the cruel mastiffs do him tear ; 

The stag lay still, unroused from the brake, 

The foamy boar feared not the hunter’s spear ; 

All thing was still in desert, bush, and briar.” 

Lord Dorset. 

It was one of the common expedients of the savages, on such 
occasions, to put the nerves of their victims to the severest 
proofs. On the other hand, it was a matter of Indian pride 
to betray no yielding to terror or pain ; but for the prisoner 
to provoke his enemies to such acts of violence as would soonest 
produce death. Many a warrior had been known to bring his 
own sufferings to a more speedy termination, by taunting re- 
proaches and reviling language, when he found that his physi- 
cal system was giving w^ay under the agony of sufferings, pro- 
duced by a hellish ingenuity, that might well eclipse all that 
has been said of the infernal devices of religious persecution. 
This happy expedient of taking refuge from the ferocity of his 
foes in their passions, was denied Deerslayer, however, by his 
peculiar notions of the duty of a white man ; and he had stoutly 
made up his mind to endure everything, in preference to dis- 
gracing his color. 

No sooner did the young men understand that they were 
at liberty to commence, than some of the boldest and most 
forward among them sprang into the arena, tomahawk in hand. 
Here they prepared to throw that dangerous weapon, the object 
being to strike the tree as near as possible to the victim’s head, 
without absolutely hitting him. This was so hazardous an 
experiment, that none but those who were known to be exceed- 
ingly expert with the weapon were allowed to enter the lists at 
all, lest an early death might interfere with the expected enter- 


^48 


THE DEEESLAYER 


tainment. In the truest hands, it was seldom that the captive ' 
escaped injury in these trials ; and it often happened that death h 
followed even when the blow was not premeditated. In the 
particular case of our hero, Rivenoak and the older warriors j 
were apprehensive that the example of the Panther’s fate might | 
prove a motive with some fiery spirit, suddenly to sacrifice 
his conqueror, when the temptation of effecting it in pre- 
cisely the same manner, and possibly with the identical weapon 
with which the warrior had fallen, offered. This circumstance, 
of itself, rendered the ordeal of the tomahawk doubly critical , : 
for the Deerslayer. 

It would seem, however, that all who now entered what 
we shall call the lists, were more disposed to exhibit their 
own dexterity than to resent the deaths of their comrades. 
Each prepared himself for the trial, with the feelings of rivalry, 
rather than with the desire for vengeance ; and for the first few 
minutes, the prisoner had little more connection with the result, . 
than grew out of the interest that necessarily attached itself to 
a living target. The young men were eager, instead of being 
fierce, and Rivenoak thought he still saw signs of being able to 
save the life of the captive, when the vanity of the young men 
had been gratified ; always admitting, that it was not sacrificed 
to the delicate experiments that were about to be made. 

The first youth who presented himself for the trial was 
called the Raven, having as yet had no opportunity of ob- 
taining a more warlike sobriquet. He was remarkable for high 
pretension rather than for skill or exploits; and those who 
knew his character, thought the captive in imminent danger, 
when he took his stand, and poised the tomahawk. Never- 
theless, the young man was good-natured, and no thought was 
uppermost in his mind, other than the desire to make a better 
cast than any of his fellows. Deerslayer got an inkling of 
this warrior’s want of reputation, by the injunctions that he 
had received from the seniors ; who, indeed, would have objected 


THE DEERSLAYER 


549 


to his appearing in the arena at all, but for an influence derived 
from his father, an aged warrior of great merit, who was then 
in the lodges of the tribe. Still, our hero maintained an appear- 
ance of self-possession. He had made up his mind that his hour 
was come, and it would have been a mercy, instead of a calamity, 
to fall by the unsteadiness of the first hand that was raised 
against him. After a suitable number of flourishes and gesticu- 
lations, that promised much more than he could perform, the 
Raven let the tomahawk quit his hand. Tl.e weapon whirled 
through the air, with the usual evolutions, cut a chip from the 
sapling to which the prisoner was bound, within a few inches 
of his cheek, and stuck in a large oak that grew several yards 
behind him. This was decidedly a bad effort, and a common 
sneer proclaimed as much, to the great mortification of the 
young man. On the other hand, there was a general, but sup- 
pressed murmur of admiration, at the steadiness with which the 
captive stood the trial. The head was the only part he could 
move, and this bad been purposely left free, that the tormentors 
might have the amusement, and the tormented endure the shame, 
of dodging and otherwise attempting to avoid the blows. Deer- 
slayer disappointed these hopes, by a command of nerve that ren- 
dered his whole body as immovable as the tree to which he was 
bound. Nor did he even adopt the natural and usual expedient 
of shutting his eyes : the firmest and oldest warrior of the redmen 
never having more disdainfully denied himself this advantage, 
under similar circumstances. 

The Raven had no sooner made his unsuccessful and puerile 
effort than he was succeeded by Le Daim-Mose, or the Moose ; 
a middle-aged warrior, who was particularly skilful in the use 
of the tomahawk, and from whose attempt the spectators con- 
fidently looked for gratification. This man had none of tlie 
good-nature of the Raven, but he Would gladly have sacrificed 
the captive to his hatred of the pale-faces generally, were it not 
for the greater interest he felt in his own success as one par- 


550 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


ticularly skilful in the use of this weapon. He took his stand 
quietly, but with an air of confidence, poised his little axe but 
a single instant, advanced a foot with a quick motion, and 
threw. Deerslayer saw the keen instrument whirling towards 
him, and believed all was over ; still he was not touched. The 
tomahawk had actually bound the head of the captive to the tree, 
by carrying before it some of his hair ; having buried itself deep 
beneath the soft bark. A general yell expressed the delight 
of the spectators, and the Moose felt his heart soften a little 
towards the prisoner, whose steadiness of nerve alone enabled ; 
him to give this evidence of his consummate skill. 

Le Daim-Mose was succeeded by the Bounding Boy, or Le 
Garmon qui Bondi, who came leaping into the circle, like a 
hound or a goat at play. This was one of those elastic youths, , 
whose muscles seemed always in motion, and who either affected, 
or who from habit was actually unable to move in any other 
manner, than by showing the antics just mentioned. Never- 
theless, he was both brave and skilful, and had gained the re- 
spect of his people by deeds in war as well as success in the 
hunts. A far nobler name would long since have fallen to his 
share, had not a Frenchman of rank inadvertently given him ' 
this sobriquet, which he religiously preserved as coming from j 
his great father, who lived beyond the wide salt lake. The f 
Bounding Boy skipped about in front of the captive, menacing 
him with his tomahawk, now on one side and now on another, 
and then again in front, in tlie vain hope of being able to ex- ' 
tort some sign of fear, by this parade of danger. At length 
Deerslayer’s patience became exhausted by all this mummery, 
and he spoke for the first time since the trial had actually 
commenced. 

“ Throw away, Huron ! ” he cried, “ or your tomahawk will 
. forget its arr’nd. Why do you keep loping about like a fa’an 
that ’s showing its dam how well it can skip, when you ’re a 
warrior grown, yourself, and a warrior grown defies you and all 


THE DEERSLAYER 551 

your silly antics ? Throw, or the Huron gals will laugh in your 
face.” 

Although not intended to produce such an effect, the last 
words aroused the “ Bounding ” warrior to fury. The same 
nervous excitability which rendered him so active in his person, 
made it difficult to repress his feelings, and the words were 
scarcely past the lips of the speaker, than the tomahawk 
left the hand of the Indian. Nor was it cast without good 
will, and a fierce determination to slay. Had the intention 
been less deadly, the danger might have been greater. The 
aim was uncertain, and the weapon glanced near the cheek of 
the captive, slightly cutting the shoulder in its evolutions. 
This was the first instance in which any other object than that 
of terrifying the prisoner, and of displaying skill, had been 
manifested ; and the Bounding Boy was immediately led from 
the arena, and was warmly rebuked for his intemperate haste, 
which had come so near defeating all the hopes of the band. 

■ To this irritable person succeeded several other young war- 
riors, who not only hurled the tomahawk but who cast the 
knife, a far more dangerous experiment, with reckless indiffer- 
ence ; yet they always manifested a skill that prevented any 
injury to the captive. Several times Deerslayer was grazed, 
but in no instance did he receive what migiit be termed a 
wound. The unflinching firmness with which he faced his 
assailants, more especially in the sort of rally with which this 
trial terminated, excited a profound respect in the spectators ; 
and when the chiefs announced that the prisoner had well with- 
stood the trials of the knife and the tomahawk, there was not 
a single individual in the band who really felt any hostility 
towards him, with the exception of Sumach and the Bounding 
Boy. These two discontented spirits got together, it is true, 
feeding each other’s ire ; but, as yet, their malignant feelings 
were confined very much to themselves, though there existed 
the danger that the others, ere long, could not fail to be excited 


552 


THE DEERSLAYER 


by their own efforts into that demoniacal state which usually ; 
accompanied all similar scenes among the redmen. ^ 

Rivenoak now told his people that the pale-face had proved j 
himself to be a man. He might live with the Delawares, but i 
he had not been made woman with that tribe. He wished to ; 
know whether it was the desire of the Hurons to proceed any i 
further. Even the gentlest of the females, however, had re- 
ceived too much satisfaction in the late trials to forego their j 
expectations of a gratifying exhibition ; and there was but one j 
voice in the request to proceed. The politic chief, who had some 
such desire to receive so celebrated a hunter into his tribe as a 
European minister has to devise a new and available means of 
taxation, sought every plausible means of arresting the trial in 
season ; for he well knew, if permitted to go far enough to 
arouse the more ferocious passions of the tormentors, it would 
be as easy to dam the waters of the great lakes of his own 
region, as to attempt to arrest them in their bloody career. 
He therefore called four or five of the best marksmen to 
him, and bid them put the captive to the proof of the rifle, 
while, at the same time, he cautioned them touching the neces- 
sity of their maintaining their own credit, by the closest atten- 
tion to the manner of exhibiting their skill. 

When Deerslayer saw the chosen warriors step into the circle, 
with their arms prepared for service, he felt some such relief as 
the miserable sufferer, who had long endured the agonies of 
disease, feels at the certain approach of death. Any trifling 
variance in the aim of this formidable weapon would prove 
fatal ; since, the head being the target, or rather the point it 
was desired to graze without injury, an inch or two of difference 
in the line of projection must at once determine the question of 
life or death. 

In the torture by the rifle there was none of the latitude per- 
mitted that appeared in the case of even Gesler’s apple, a hair’s 
Iweadth being, in fact, the utmost limits that an expert marks- 


THE DEKRSLA YER 


553 


man would allow himself on an occasion like this. Victims 
were frequently shot through the head by too eager or unskilful 
hands ; and it often occurred that, exasperated by the fortitude 
and taunts of the prisoner, death was dealt intentionally in a 
moment of ungovernable irritation. All this Deerslayer well 
knew, for it was in relating the traditions of such scenes, as well 
as of the battles and victories of their people, that the old men 
beguiled the long winter evenings in their cabins. He now 
fully expected the end of his career, and experienced a sort of 
melancholy pleasure in the idea that he was to fall by a weapon 
as much beloved as the rifle. A slight interruption, however, 
took place before the business was allowed to proceed. 

Hetty Hutter witnessed all that passed, and the scene at first 
had pressed upon her feeble mind in a way to paralyze it entirely ; 
but by this time she had rallied, and was growing indignant at 
the unmerited suffering the Indians were inflicting on her friend. 
Though timid, and shy as the young of the deer, on so many 
occasions, this right-feeling girl was always intrepid in the cause 
of humanity ; the lessons of her mother, and the impulses of 
her own heart — perhaps we might say the promptings of that 
unseen and pure spirit that seemed ever to watch over and 
direct her actions — uniting to keep down the apprehensions of 
woman, and to impel her to be bold and resolute. She no-w 
appeared in the circle, gentle, feminine, even bashful in mien, 
as usual, but earnest in her words and' countenance, speaking 
like one who knew herself to be sustained by the high authority 
of God. 

“ Why do you torment Deerslayer, redmen ? ” she asked. 
“ What has he done that you trifle with his life ; who has 
given you the right to be his judges? Suppose one of your 
knives or tomahawks had hit him ; what Indian among you all 
could cure the wound you would make ? Besides, in harming 
Deerslayer, you injure your own friend ; when father and Hurry 
Harry came after your scalps, he refused to be of the party, and 


554 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


stayed in the canoe by himself. ‘ You are tormenting your friend, , 
in tormenting this young man ! ” 

The Hurons listened with grave attention, and one among 
them, who understood English, translated what had been said 
into their native tongue. As soon as Rivenoak was made 
acquainted with the purport of her address, he answered it in I 
his own dialect ; the interpreter conveying it to the girl in | 
English. 

“ My daughter is very welcome to speak,” said the stern old I 
orator, using gentle intonations, and smiling as kindly as if , 
addressing a child ; “ the Hurons are glad to hear her voice ; i 
they listen to what she says. The Great Spirit often speaks to i 
men with such tongues. This time her eyes have not been open 
wide enough, to see all that has happened. Deerslayer did not ! 
come for our scalps, that is true ; why did he not come ? Here 
they are, on our heads, the war-locks are ready to be taken hold 
of ; a bold enemy ought to stretch out his hand to seize them. . 
The Iroquois are too great a nation to punish men that take i 
scalps. What they do themselves, they like to see others do. 
Let my daughter look around her, and count my warriors. i 
Had I as many hands as four warriors, their fingers would be 
fewer than my people, when they came into your hunting-grounds. 
Now, a whole hand is missing. Where are the fingers'? Two 
have been cut olf by this pale-face ; my Hurons wish to see if he 
did this by means of a stout heart, or by treachery ; like a skulk- 
ing fox, or like a leaping panther.” 

“You know yourself, Huron, how one of them fell. I saw 
it, and you all saw it, too. ’T was too bloody to look at ; but 
it was not Deerslayer’s fault. Your warrior sought his life, and 
he defended himself. I don’t know whether the good book says 
that it was right, but all men will do that. Come, if you want ' 
to know which of you can shoot best, give Deerslayer a rifie, 
and then you will find how much more expert he is than any of 
your warriors ; yes, than all of them together ! ” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


555 


Could one have looked upon such a scene with indifference, 
he would have been amused at the gravity with which the sav- 
ages listened to the translation of this unusual request. No 
taunt, no smile, mingled with their surprise ; for Hetty had a 
character and a manner too saintly to subject her infirmity to 
the mockings of the rude and ferocious. On the contrary, she 
was answered with respectful attention. 

“ My daughter does not always talk like a chief at a council- 
fire,” returned Rivenoak, “or she would not have said this. 
Two of my warriors have fallen by the blows of our prisoner ; 
their grave is too small to hold a third. The Hurons do not 
like to crowd their dead. If there is another spirit about to 
set out for the far-off world, it must not be the spirit of a 
Huron it must be the spirit of a pale-face. Go, daughter, and 
sit by Sumach, who is in grief ; let the Huron warriors show 
how well they can shoot ; let the pale-face show how little he 
cares for their bullets.” 

Hetty’s mind was unequal to a sustained discussion, and, 
accustomed to defer to the directions of her seniors, she did as 
told, seating herself passively on a log by the side of the Sumach, 
and averting her face from the painful scene that was occurring 
within the circle. 

The warriors, as soon as this interruption had ceased, re- 
sumed their places, and again prepared to exhibit their skill, 
as there was a double object in view, that of putting the con- 
stancy of the captive to the proof, and that of showing how 
steady were the hands of the marksmen under circumstances 
of excitement. The distance was small, and, in one sense, safe. 
But in diminishing the distance taken by the tormentors, the 
trial to the nerves of the captive was essentially increased. 
The face of Deerslayer, indeed, was just removed sufficiently 
from the ends of the guns to escape the effects of the flash, 
and his steady eye was enabled to look directly into their muz- 
zles, as it might be in anticipation of the fatal messenger that 


55G 


THE DEEmLA YER 


was to issue from each. The cimiiing Huroiis well knew this 
fact ; and scarce one levelled his piece without first causing 
it to point as near as possible at the forehead of the prisoner, 
in the hope that his fortitude would fail him, and that the 
band would enjoy the triumph of seeing a victim quail under 
their ingenious cmelty. Nevertheless, each of the competitors, 
was still careful not to injure ; the disgrace of striking prema- 
turely being second only to that of failing altogether in attain- 
ing the object. Shot after shot was made ; all the bullets 
coming in close proximity to the Deerslayer’s head, without 
touching it. Still, no one coidd detect even the twitching of 
a muscle on the part of the captive, or the slightest winking 
of an eye. This indomitable resolution, which so much ex- 
ceeded everything of its kind that any present had before wit- 
nessed, might be referred to three distinct causes. The first 
was resignation to his fate, blended with natural steadiness of 
deportment ; for our hero had calmly made up his mind that 
he must die, and preferred this mode to any other ; the second 
was his great familiarity with this particular weapon, which 
deprived it of all the terror that is usually connected with the 
mere form of the danger ; and the third was this familiarity 
carried out in practice, to a degree so nice as to enable the 
intended victim to tell, within an inch, the precise spot where 
each bullet must strike, for he calculated its range by looking 
in at the bore of the piece. So exact was Deerslayer’s estima- 
tion of the line of fire, that his pride of feeling finally got the 
better of his resignation, and, when five or six had discharged 
their bullets into the trees, he could not refrain from express- 
ing his contempt at their want of hand and eye. 

“You .may call this shooting, Mingos,” he exclaimed, “but 
we Ve squaws among the Delawares, and I have known Dutch 
gals on the INIohawk, that could outdo your greatest indivors. 
Undo these arms of mine, put a rifie into my hands, and I ’ll- 
pin the thinnest war-lock in your party to any tree you can 


THE DEERSLAYER 




show me ; and this at a hundred yards : ay, or at two hun- 
dred, if the object can be seen, nineteen shots in twenty : or, 
for that matter, twenty in twenty, if the piece is creditable and 
trusty ! ” 

A low, menacing murmur followed this cool taunt ; the ire 
of the warriors kindled at listening to such a reproach from one 
who so far disdained their efforts as to refuse even to wink, 
when a rifle was discharged as near his face as could be done 
without burning it. Rivenoak perceived that the moment was 
critical, and, still retaining his hope of adopting so noted a 
hunter into his tribe, the politic old chief interposed in time, 
probably, to prevent an immediate resort to that portion 
of the torture which must necessarily have produced death, 
through extreme bodily suffering, if in no other manner. Mov- 
ing into the centre of the irritated group, he addressed them 
with his usual wily logic and plausible manner, at once sup- 
pressing the fierce movement that had commenced. 

“I see how it is,” he said. “We have been like the pale- 
faces when they fasten their doors at night, out of fear of the 
redman. They use so many bars, that the fire comes and burns 
them before they can get out. We have bound the Deerslayer 
too tight ; the thongs keep his limbs from shaking, and his 
eyes from shutting. Loosen him ; let us see w^hat his own 
body is really made of.” 

It is often the case when we are thwarted in a cherished 
scheme, that any expedient, however unlikely to succeed, is 
gladly resorted to, in preference to a total abandonment of the 
project. So it was with the Hurons. The proposal of the 
chief found instant favor ; and several hands were immediately 
at work cutting and tearing the ropes of bark from the body of 
our hero. In half a minute, Deerslayer stood as free from 
bonds, as wdien, an hour before, he had commenced his flight 
on the side of the mountain. Some little time w^as neces- 
sary that he should recover the use of his limbs, the circula- 


558 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


tion of the blood having been checked by the tightness of the 
ligatures ; and this was accorded to him by the politic Riven- 
oak under the pretence that his body would be more likely to 
submit to apprehension, if his true tone were restored ; though 
really with a view to give time to the fierce passions which had 
been awakened in the "bosoms of his young men, to subside. This 
ruse succeeded ; and Deerslayer, by rubbing his limbs, stamp- 
ing his feet, and moving about, soon regained the circulation ; 
recovering all his physical powers as etfectually as if nothing 
had occurred to disturb them. 

It is seldom men think of death in the pride of their health 
and strength. So it was with Deerslayer. Having been help- 
lessly bound, and, as he had every reason to suppose, so lately 
on the very verge of the other world, to find himself so unex- 
pectedly liberated, in possession of his strength, and with a full 
command of limb, acted on him like a sudden restoration to 
life, re-animating hopes that he had once absolutely abandoned. 
From that instant all his plans changed. In this he simply 
obeyed a law of nature ; for while we have wished to represent 
our hero as being resigned to his fate, it has been far from our 
intention to represent him as anxious to die. From the instant 
that his buoyancy of feeling revived, his thoughts were keenly 
bent on the various projects that presented themselves as modes 
of evading the designs of his enemies ; and he again became 
the quick-witted, ingenious, and determined woodsman, alive to 
all his own powers and resources. The change was so great, 
that his mind resumed its elasticity ; and, no longer thinking 
of submission, it dwelt only on the devices of the sort of war- 
fare in which he was engaged. 

As soon as Deerslayer was released, the band divided itself 
in a circle around him, in order to hedge him in ; and the desire 
to break down his spirit grew in them, precisely as they saw 
proofs of the difficulty there would be in subduing it. The 
honor of the band was now involved in the issue ; and even 


THE DEERSLAYER 


559 


the sex lost all its sympathy with suffering, in the desire to 
save the reputation of the tribe. The voices of the girls, soft 
and melodious as nature had made them, were heard mingling 
with the menaces of the men ; and the wrongs of Sumach sud- 
denly assumed the character of injuries inflicted on every Huron 
female. Yielding to this rising tumult, the men drew back a 
little, signifying to the females that they left the captive, for a 
time, in their hands ; it being a common practice, on such occa- 
sions, for the women to endeavor to throw the victim into a 
rage, by their taunts and revilings, and then to turn him sud- 
denly over to the men, in a state of mind that was little favor- 
able to resisting the agony of bodily suffering. Nor was this 
party without the proper instniments for effecting such a pur- 
pose. Sumach had a notoriety as a scold ; and one or two 
crones, like the Shebear, had come out with the party, most 
probably as the conservators of its decency and moral discipline ; 
such things occurring in savage as well as civilized life. It is 
unnecessary to repeat all that ferocity and ignorance could 
invent for such a purpose ; the only difference between this out- 
breaking of feminine anger, and a similar scene among ourselves, 
consisting in the figures of speech and the epithets ; the Huron 
women calling their prisoner by the names of the lower and 
least respected animals that were known to themselves. 

But Deerslayer’s mind was too much occupied to permit him 
to be disturbed by the abuse of excited hags ; and their rage 
necessarily increasing with his indifference, as his indifference 
increased with their rage, the furies soon rendered themselves 
impotent by their own excesses. Perceiving that the attempt 
was a complete failure, the warriors interfered to put a stop to 
this scene; and this so much the more, because preparations 
were now seriously making for the commencement of the real 
tortures, or that which would put the fortitude of the sufferer 
to the test of severe bodily pain. A sudden and unlooked-for 
announcement that proceeded from one of the look-outs, a boy 


5G0 


THE HEERSLA YER 



ten or twelve years old, however, put a momentary check to 
the whole proceedings. As this interruption has a close con- ' 
nectioii with the denouement of our story, it shall be given in 
a separate chapter. 


CHAPTER XXX 

“ So cleem’st thou — so each mortal deems 
Of that which is from that which seems; 

But other harvest here 
Than that which peasant’s scythe demands, 

Was gathered in by sterner hands, 

With bayonet, blade and spear.” 

Scott. 

It exceeded Deerslayer’s power to ascertain what had pro- i 
duced the sudden pause in the movements of his enemies, until : 
the fact was revealed in the due course of events. He perceived ‘ ; 
that much agitation prevailed among the women in particular, j 
while the warriors rested on their arms, in a sort of dignified ■ 
expectation. It was plain no alarm was excited, though it 
was not equally apparent that a friendly occurrence produced 
the delay. Rivenoak was evidently apprised of all, and by 
a gesture of his arm he appeared to direct the circle to remain 
unbroken, and for each person to await the issue in the situ- 
ation he or she then occupied. It required but a minute or 
two to bring an explanation of this singular and mysterious 
pause, which was soon terminated by the appearance of Judith, 
on the exterior of the line of bodies, and her ready admission 
within its circle. 

If Deerslayer was startled by this unexpected arrival, well 
knowing that the quick-witted girl could claim none of that 
exemption from the penalties of captivity that was so cheerfully 
accorded to her feeble-minded sister, he was equally astonished 


THE DEEHSLA YER 


561 


at the guise in which she came. All her ordinary forest attii e, 
neat and becoming as this usually was, had been laid aside for 
the brocade that has been already mentioned, and which had 
once before wrought so great and magical an effect in her 
appearance. Nor was this all. Accustomed to see the ladies of 
the garrison, in the formal gala attire of tlie day, and familiar 
with the more critical niceties of these matters, the girl had 
managed to complete her dress, in a way to leave nothing 
strikingly defective in its details, or even to l)etray an incon- 
gruity that would have been detected by one practised in the 
mysteries of the toilet. Head, feet, arms, hands, bust, and dra- 
j)ery, were all in harmony, as female attire was then deemed 
attractive and harmonious ; and the end she aimed at, that of 
imposing on the uninstructed senses of the savages, by causing 
them to believe their guest was a woman of rank and impor- 
tance, might well have succeeded with those whose habits had 
taught them to discriminate between persons. Judith, in 
addition to her rare native beauty, had a singular grace of 
! person, and her mother had imparted enough of her own deport- 
ment to prevent any striking or offensive vulgarity of manner ; 
so that, sooth to say, the gorgeous dress might have been worse 
bestowed in nearly every particular. Had it been displayed in 
; a capital, a thousand might have worn it before one couhl have 
! been found to do more credit to its gay colors, glossy satins, 

1 and rich laces, than the beautiful creature whose person it now 
aided to adorn. 

The effect of such an apparition had not been miscalculated. 
The instant Judith found herself within the circle, she was, in a 
degree, compensated for the fearful personal risk she ran, by the 
unecpuvocal sensation of surprise and admiration produced by 
her appearance. The grim old warriors uttered their favorite 
exclamation, “ Hugh ! ” The younger men were still more 
: sensibly overcome, and even the women were not backward in 
‘ letting open manifestations of pleasure escape them. It was 
2 o 


562 


THE DEE Its LA YER 


seldom that these untutored children of the forest had ever j 
seen any white female above the commonest sort, and as to li 
dress, never before had so much splendor shone before their I 
eyes. The gayest uniforms of both French and English seemed L 
dull compared with the lustre of the brocade ; and while the I 
rare personal beauty of the wearer added to the effect produced ■ 
by its hues, the attire did not fail to adorn that beauty in a 
way which surpassed even the hopes of its wearer. Deerslayer a 
himself was astounded, and this quite as much by the brilliant | 
picture the girl presented, as at the indifference to consequences 
with which she had braved the danger of the step she had * 
taken. Under such circumstances, all waited for the visitor j 
to explain her object, which to most of the spectators seemed I 
as inexplicable as her appearance. I 

“Which of these warriors is the principal chief?” demanded 
Judith of Deerslayer, as soon as she found it was expected that she j 
should open the communication ; “ my errand is too important to * 
be delivered to any of inferior rank. First explain to the Hurons 1 
what I say ; then give an answer to the question I have put.” 

Deerslayer quietly complied, his auditors greedily listening j 
to the interpretation of the first words that fell from so extraor- , 
dinary a vision. The demand seemed perfectly in character j 
for one who had every appearance of an exalted rank herself. 
Rivenoak gave an appropriate reply, by presenting himself ; 
before his fiiir visitor in a way to leave no doubt that he was | 
entitled to all the consideration he claimed. 

“ I can believe this, Huron,” resumed Judith, enacting her ' 
assumed part with a steadiness and dignity that did credit to i 
her powers of imitation, for she strove to impart to her manner 
the condescending courtesy she had once observed in the wife of , 
a general officer, at a similar though a more amicable scene : “ I ■ 
can believe you to be the principal person of this party ; I see 
in your countenance the marks of thought and reflection. To 
you, then, I must make my communication.” 


THE DEERSLA YER 


563 


“Let the Flower of the Woods speak,” returned the old 
chief, courteously, as soon as her address had been translated so 
that all might understand it, “ If her words are as pleasant 
as her looks, they will never quit my ears ; I shall hear them 
long after the winter in Canada has killed the flowers and 
frozen all the speeches of summer.” 

This admiration was grateful to one constituted like Judith, 
and contributed to aid her self-possession, quite as much as it 
fed her vanity. Smiling involuntarily, or in spite of her wish 
to seem reserved, she proceeded in her plot. 

“ Now, Huron,” she continued, “ listen to my words. Your 
eyes tell you that I am no common woman. I will not say I 
am queen of this country ; she is afar ofl‘, in a distant land ; 
but under our gracious monarchs there are many degrees of 
rank ; one of these I fill. What that rank is precisely it is 
unnecessary for me to say, since you would not understand it. 
For that information you must trust your eyes. You see what 
I am ; you mwfii feel that, in listening to my words, you listen 
to one who can be your friend or your enemy, as you treat her.” 

This was well uttered, with a due attention to manner and a 
steadiness of tone that was really surprising, considering all the 
circumstances of the case. It was well, though simply, rendered 
into the Indian dialect, too, and it was received with a respect 
1 and gravity that augured favorably for the girl’s success. But 
ij Indian thought is not easily traced to its sources. Judith 
I waited with anxiety to hear the answer, filled with hope even 
5 while she doubted. Rivenoak was a i-eady speaker, and he 
I answered as promptly as comported with the notions of Indian 
I decorum ; that peculiar people seeming to think a short delay 
; respectful, inasmuch as it manifests that the words already heard 
j have been duly weighed. 

“ My daughter is handsomer than the wild roses of Onta- 
rio ; her voice is pleasant to the ear as the song of the wren,” 

: answered the cautious and wily chief, who of all the band stood 


564 


THE J)KEHSLA YER 


alone in not being fully imposed on by the magnificent and un- 
usual appearance of Judith, but who distrusted even while he 
wondered; “the humming-bird is not much larger than the 
bee; yet its feathers are as gay as the tail of the peacock. 
The Great Spirit sometimes puts very bright clothes on very 
little animals. Still, he covers the moose with coarse hair. 
These things are beyond the understanding of poor Indians, 
who can only comprehend what they see and hear. No doubt 
my daughter has a very large wigwam somewhere about the 
lake; the Hurons have not found it on account of their igno- 
rance ? ” 

“I have told you, chief, that it would be useless to state my‘ 
rank and residence, inasmuch as you would not comiDrehend 
them. You must trust to your eyes for this knowledge ; what 
redman is there that cannot see ? This blanket that I wear is 
not the blanket of a common squaw ; these ornaments are sucli 
as the wives and daughters of chiefs only appear in. Now listen 
and hear wliy I have come alone among your people, and hearken 
to the errand that has brought me here. The Yengeese have 
young men as well as the Hurons ; and plenty of them, too ; 
this you well know.” 

“ The Yengeese are as plenty as the leaves on the trees ! 
This every Huron knows and feels.” ' 

“ I understand you, chief. Had I brought a party with me 
it might have caused trouble. My young men and your young 
men would have looked angrily at each other ; especially had 
my young men seen that pale-face bound for the tortures. He 
is a great hunter, and is much loved by all the garrisons, far 
and near. There would have been blows about him, and the 
trail of the Iroquois back to the Canadas would have been 
marked with blood.” 

“There is so much blood on it now,” returned the chief, 
gloomily, “ that it blinds our eyes. My young men see that 
it is all Huron.” 


THE IJEEKSLAYEK 


565 


“ doubt ; aud more Huron blood would be spilt, had I 
come surrounded with pale-faces. I have heard of Rivenoak, 
and have thought it would be better to send him back in peace 
to his village, that he might leave his women and children be- 
hind him ; if he then wished to come for our scalps, we would 
meet him. He loves animals made of ivory, and little rifles. 
See ; I have brought some with me to show him. I am his 
friend. When he has packed up these things among his goods, 
he will start for his village, before any of my young men can 
overtake him ; and then he will show his people in Canada 
what riches they can come to seek, now that our great fathers, 
across the salt lake, have sent each other the war-hatchet. I 
will lead back with me this great hunter, of whom I have need 
to keep my house in venison.” 

Judith, who was sutficiently familiar with Indian phraseology, 
endeavored to express her ideas in the sententious manner com- 
mon to those people ; and she succeeded even beyond her own ex- 
pectations. Deerslayer did her full justice in the translation, and 
this so much the more readily, since the girl carefully abstained 
from uttering any direct untruth ; a homage she paid to the 
young man’s known aversion to falsehood, which he deemed a 
meanness altogether unworthy of a white man’s gifts. The 
oflering of the two remaining elephants, and of the pistols al- 
ready mentioned, one of which was all the worse for the recent 
accident, produced a lively sensation among the Hurons gener- 
ally, though Rivenoak received it coldly, notwithstanding the 
delight with which he had first discovered the probable exist- 
ence of a creature with two tails. In a word, this cool and 
sagacious savage was not so easily imposed on as his followers ; 
and with a sentiment of honor, that half the civilized world 
would have deemed supererogatory, he declined the acceptance 
of a bribe that he felt no disposition to earn by a compliance 
with the donor’s wishes. 

“Let my daughter keep her two-tailed hog, to eat when 


THE DEERS LA YER 


venison is scarce,” he dryly answered ; “ and the little gun, 
which has two muzzles. The Hurons will kill deer when they 
are hungry ; and they have long rifles to fight with. This 
hunter cannot quit my young men now ; they wish to know if 
he is as stout-hearted as he boasts himself to be.” 

“ That I deny, Huron,” interrupted Deerslayer, with warmth ; 
“yes, that I downright deny, as ag’in truth and reason. No 
man has heard me boast, and no man shall, though ye flay me 
alive, and then roast the quivering flesli, with your own infarnal 
devices and cruelties ! I may be humble, and misfortimate, and 
your prisoner ; but I ’m no boaster, by my very gifts.” 

“My young pale-face boasts he is no boaster,” returned the 
crafty chief; “ he 7nust be right. I hear a strange bird singing. 
It has very rich feathers. No Huron ever before saw such 
feathers. They will be ashamed to go back to their village and 
tell their people that they let their prisoner go on account of the 
song of this strange bird, and not be able to give the name of the 
bird. They do not know how to say whether it is a wren or a 
catbird. This would be a great disgrace ; my young men would 
not be allowed to travel in the woods, without taking their 
mothers with them to tell them the names of the birds.” 

“ You can ask my name of your prisoner,” returned the girl. 
“ It is Judith ; and there is a great deal of the history of Judith 
in the pale-faces’ best book, the Bible. If I am a bird of fine 
feathers, I have also my name.” 

“ No,” answered the wily Huron, betraying the artifice he 
had so long practised, by speaking in English, with tolerable 
accuracy; “I not ask prisoner. He tired; he want rest. I 
ask my daugliter, with feeble-mind. Slie speak truth. Come 
here, daughter ; you answer. Your name Hetty ? ” 

“ Yes, that’s what they call me,” returned the girl, “though 
it ’s written Esther in the Bible.” 

“ He write him in Bible, too 'I All write in Bible. No mat- 
ter — what her name ? ” 


THE DEERSLAYER 


56T 


“ That ’s Judith, and it ’s so written in the Bible, though father 
sometimes called her Jude. That ’s my sister Judith, Thomas 
Hutter’s daughter — Thomas Hutter, whom you called the Musk- 
rat ; though he was no muskrat, but a man, like yourselves — 
he lived in a house on the water, and that was enough for 

A smile of triumph gleamed on the hard, wrinkled counte- 
nance of the chief, when he found how completely his appeal to 
the truth-loving Hetty had succeeded. As for Judith herself, 
the moment her sister was questioned, she saw that all was lost ; 
for no sign, or even treaty, could have induced the right-feeling 
girl to utter a falsehood. To attempt to impose a daughter of 
the Muskrat on the savages, as a princess or a great lady, she 
knew would be idle ; and she saw her bold and ingenious expe- 
dient for liberating the captive fail, through one of the simplest 
and most natural causes that could be imagined. She turned 
her eye on Deerslayer, therefore, as if imploring him to inter- 
fere, to save them both. 

“ It will not do, Judith,” said the young man, in answer to 
this appeal, which he understood, though he saw its useless- 
ness ; “ it will not do. ’T was a bold idee, and fit for a gen- 
eral’s lady ; but yonder Mingo ” — Rivenoak had withdrawn 
to a little distance, and was out of ear-shot — “ but yonder 
Mingo is an oncommon man, and not to be deceived by any 
I onnat’ral sarcumventions. Things must come afore him in 
their right order to draw a cloud afore his eyes ! ’T was too 
much to attempt making him fancy that a queen or a great 
lady lived in these mountains ; and no doubt he thinks the fine 
clothes you wear are some of the plunder of your own father 
— or, at least, of him who once passed for your father ; as quite 
I likely it was, if all they say is true.” 

I “ At all events, Deerslayer, my presence here will save you 
for a time. They will hardly attempt torturing you before my 
face ! ” 

“Why not, Judith? Do you think they will treat a woman 


568 


THE DEERS LA YER 


of the pale-faces more tenderly than they treat their own ? It ’s 
true that yoiir sex will most likely save you from the torments, 
but it will not save your liberty, and may not save your scalp. 

I wish you hadn’t come, my good Judith ; it can do no good j 
to me, while it may do great harm to yourself.” ; 

“ I can share your fate,” the girl answered, with generous j 
enthusiasm. “ They shall not injure you while I stand by, if 
in my power to prevent it — besides — ” 

“Besides what, Judith? What means have you to stop ; 
Injin cruelties, or to avart Injin deviltries? ” t 

“ None, perhaps, Deerslayer,” answered the girl, with firm- 
ness ; “but I can suffer with my friends — die with them, if 
necessary.” 

“ Ah ! Judith — suffer you may ; but die you will not until i 
t!ie Lord’s time shall come. It ’s little likely that one of your 
sex and beauty will meet with a harder fate than to become the wife 
of a chief, if indeed your white inclinations can stoop to match ! 
with an Injin. ’T would have been better had you stayed in ‘ 
the ark or the castle ; but wdiat has been done, is done. You 
was about to say something, when you stopped at ‘ besides ’ ? ” 

“ It might not be safe to mention it here, Deerslayer,” the 
girl hurriedly answered, moving past him carelessly that she : 
might speak in a low tone ; “ half-an-hour is all in all to us. 
None of your friends are idle.” 

The hunter re}died merely by a grateful look. Then he turned ' 
towards his enemies, as if ready again to face tlie torments. A ^ 
short consultation had passed among the elders of the band, and 
by this time they also were prepared with their decision. The 
merciful purpose of Rivenoak had been much weakened by the • 
artifice of Judith, which, failing of its real object, was likely to 
l)roduce results the very opposite of those she had anticipated, i 
This was natural ; the feeling being aided by the resentment 
of an Indian, wdio found how near he had been to becoming the . 
dupe of an inexperienced girl. By this time Judith’s real char- ; 


I 


THE IJEERSLA YER 


r)6‘) 

acter was fully understood — the wide-spread reputation of her 
l>eauty contributed to the exposure. As for the unusual attire, 
it was confounded with the profound mystery of the animals 
with two tails, and, for the moment, lost its influence. 

When Rivenoak, therefore, faced the captive again, it was 
with an altered countenance. He had abandoned the wish of 
saving him, and was no longer disposed to retard the more seri- 
ous part of the torture. This change of sentiment was, in effect, 
communicated to the young men, who were already eagerly 
engaged in making their preparations for the contemplated 
scene. Fragments of dried wood were rapidly collected near 
the sapling, the splinters which it was intended to thrust into 
the flesh of the victim, previously to lighting, were all collected, 
and* the thongs were already produced that were again to bind 
him to tlie tree. All this was done in profound silence, Judith 
watching every movement with breathless expectation, while 
Deerslayer himself stood seemingly as unmoved as one of the 
])ines of the hills. When the warriors advanced to bind him, 
however, the young man glanced at Judith, as if to inquire 
whether resistance or submission were most advisable. By a 
significant gesture she counselled the last ; and, in a minute, he 
was once more fastened to the tree, a helpless object of any 
insult or wrong that might be offered. So eagerly did every 
one now act, that nothing was said. The fire was immediately 
lighted in the pile, and the end of all was anxiously expected. 

It was not the intention of the Hurons absolutely to destroy 
the life of their victim by means of fire. They designed merely 
to put his physical fortitude to the severest proofs it could 
endure, short of that extremity. In the end, they fully intended 
to carry his scalp with them into their village, but it was their 
wish first to break down his resolution, and to reduce him to 
the level of a complaining sufferer. AVith this view, the pile 
of brush and branches had been placed at a proper distance, or 
one at which it was thought the heat would soon become intol- 


570 


THE DEERSLAYER 


erable, though it might not be immediately dangerous. As ; 
often happened, however, on these occasions, this distance had ^ 
been miscalculated, and the flames began to wave their forked • 
tongues in a proximity to the face of the victim tliat would | 
have proved fatal in another instant, had not Hetty rushed j 
through the crowd, armed with a stick, and scattered the blaz- i 
ing pile in a dozen directions. More tlian one hand was raised 
to strike the presumptuous intruder to the earth ; but the 
chiefs prevented the blows, by reminding their irritated fol- 
lowers of the state of her mind. Hetty, herself, was insensible 
to the risk she ran ; but, as soon as she had performed this i 
bold act, she stood looking about her in frowning resentment, : 
as if to rebuke the crowd of attentive savages for their cruelty. ; 

“God bless you, dearest sister, for that brave and ready j 
act,” murmured Judith, herself unnerved so much as to be 
incapable of exertion ; “ Heaven itself has sent you on its holy i 
errand.” 

“ ’T was well meant, Judith,” rejoined the victim; “’twas ! 
excellently meant, and ’twas timely, though it may prove 
ontimely in the ind ! What is to come to pass must come to li 
pass soon, or ’t will quickly be too late. Had I drawn in one I 
mouthful of that flame in breathing, the power of man could n’t [ 
save my life ; and you see that this time they ’ve so bound my ' 
forehead as not to leave my head the smallest chance. ’T was 
well meant ; but it might have been more marciful to let the j 
flames act their part.” 

“ Cruel, heartless Hurons ! ” exclaimed the still indignant I 
Hetty ; “ would you burn a man and a Christian as you would | 
burn a log of wood ! Do you never read your Bibles ? or do | 
you think God will forget such things ? ” ! 

A gesture from Rivenoak caused the scattered brands to be j 
collected ; fresh wood was brought, even the women and chil- 
dren busying themselves eagerly in the gathering of dried sticks. 
The flame was just kindling a second time, when an Indian 


THE DEERSLAYER 


571 


female pushed through the circle, advanced to the heap, and 
with her foot dashed aside the lighted twigs in time to prevent 
the conflagration. A yell followed this second disappointment; 
but when the offender turned towards the circle, and presented 
the countenance of Hist, it was succeeded by a common exclama- 
tion of pleasure and surprise. For a minute, all thought of 
pursuing the business in hand was forgotten, and young and 
old crowded around the girl, in haste to demand an explanation 
of her sudden and unlooked-for return. It was at this critical 
instant that Hist spoke to Judith in a low voice, placed some 
small object, unseen, in her hand, and then turned to meet the 
salutations of the Huron girls, with whom she was personally 
a great favorite. Judith recovered her self-possession and acted 
promptly. The small, keen-edged knife, that Hist had given 
to the other, was passed by the latter into the hands of Hetty, 
as the safest and least-suspected medium of transferring it to 
Deerslayer. But the feeble intellect of the last defeated the 
w’ell-grounded hopes of all three. Instead of first cutting loose 
the hands of the victim, and then concealing the knife in his 
clothes, in readiness for action at the most available instant, 
she went to work herself, with earnestness and simplicity, to 
cut the thongs that bound his head, that he might not again 
be in danger of inhaling flames. Of course this deliberate pro- 
cedure was seen, and the hands of Hetty were arrested ere she 
had more than liberated the upper portion of the captive’s body, 
not including his arms below the elbows. This discovery at 
once pointed distrust towards Hist; and, to Judith’s surprise, 
when questioned on the subject, that spirited girl was not dis- 
posed to deny her agency in what liad passed. 

“ Why should I not help the Deerslayer ? ” the girl demanded, 
in the tones of a firm-minded woman. “ He is the brother of 
a Delaware chief ; my heart is all Delaware. Come forth, mis- 
erable Briarthorn, and wash the Iroquois paint from your face ; 
stand before the Hurons, the crow that you are ; you would eat 


572 


THE DEERSLAYER 


the carrion of your own dead rather than starve. Put him face 
to face with Deerslayer, chiefs and warriors ; I will show you 
how great a knave you have been keeping in your tribe.” 

This bold language, uttered in their own dialect, and with a 
manner full of confidence, produced a deep sensation among the 
Hurons. Treachery is always liable to distrust ; and though 
the recreant Briarthorn had endeavored to serve the enemy well, 
his exertions and assiduities had gained for him little more than 
toleration. His wish to obtain Hist for a wife had first induced 
him to betray her and his own people ; but serious rivals to his 
first project had risen up among his new friends, weakening still 
more their sympathies with treason. In a word, Briarthorn had 
been barely permitted to remain in the Huron encampment, 
where he was as closely and as jealously watched as Hist her- 
self ; seldom appearing before the chiefs, and sedulously keeping 
out of view of Deerslayer, who, until this moment, was ignorant 
even of his presence. Thus summoned, however, it was im- 
possible to remain in the background. “ Wash the Iroquois 
paint from his face,” he did not ; for when he stood in the cen- 
tre of the circle, he was so disguised in these new colors, that, 
at first, the hunter did not recognize him. He assumed an air 
of defiance, notwithstanding, and haughtily demanded what any 
could say against Briarthorn. 

“Ask yourself that,” continued Hist, with spirit, though her 
manner grew less concentrated ; and there was a slight air of 
abstraction that became observable to Deerslayer and Judith, if 
to no others. “ Ask that of your own heart, sneaking wood- 
chuck of the Delawares ; come not here with the face of an inno- 
cent man. Gro look in the spring ; see the colors of your enemies 
on your lying skin ; and then come back and boast how you ran 
from your tribe, and took the blanket of the French for your 
covering. Paint yourself as bright as a humming-bird, you will 
still be black as the crow.” 

Hist had been so uniformly gentle while living with the Hurons, 


THE DEEliSLAYKR 


that they now listened to her language with surprise. As for 
the delinquent, his blood boiled in his veins ; and it was well for 
the pretty speaker that it was not in his power to execute the 
revenge he burned to inflict on her, in spite of his pretended 
love. 

“ Who wishes Briarthorn ? ” he sternly asked. “ If this pale- 
face is tired of life ; if afraid of Indian torments, speak, Riven- 
oak ; I will send him after the warriors we have lost.” 

“ No, chief, — no, Rivenoak,” eagerly interrupted Hist. “ The 
Deerslayer fears nothing; least of all a crow ! Unbind him — 
cut his withes — place him face to face with this cawing bird ; 
then let us see which is tired of life.” 

Hist made a forward movement, as if to take a knife from a 
young man, and perform the oflice she had mentioned in person ; 
but an aged warrior interposed, at a sign from Rivenoak. The 
chief watched all the girl did, with distrust ; for, even while 
speaking in her most boastful language and in the steadiest 
manner, there was an air of uncertainty and expectation about 
her, that could not escape so close an observer. She acted well ; , 
but two or three of the old men were equally satisfied that it 
was merely acting. Her proposal to release Deerslayer, there- 
fore, was rejected ; and the disappointed Hist found herself 
driven back from the sapling at the very moment she fancied 
herself about to be successful. At the same time the circle, 
which had got to be crowded and confused, was enlarged, and 
brought once more into order. Rivenoak now announced the 
intention of the old men again to proceed ; the delay having 
been continued long enough, and leading to no result. 

“ Stop, Huron ; stay, chiefs ! ” exclaimed Judith, scarce know- 
ing what she said, or why she interposed, unless to obtain time ; 

“ for God’s sake, a single minute longer — ” 

The words were cut short by another and a still more extraor- 
dinary interruption. A young Indian came bounding through 
the Huron ranks, leaping into the very centre of the circle, in 


574 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


a way to denote the utmost confidence, or a temerity bordering on 
foolhardiness. Five or six sentinels were still watching the lake 
at different and distant points ; and it was the first impression 
of Rivenoak that one of these had come in with tidings of 
import. Still, the movements of the stranger were so rapid, 
and his war-dress, which scarcely left him more drapery than 
an antique statue, had so little distinguishing about it, that, 
at the first moment, it was impossible to ascertain whether he 
were friend or foe. Three leaps carried this warrior to the side 
of Deerslayer, whose withes were cut in the twinkling of an eye, 
with a quickness and precision that left the prisoner perfect 
master of his limbs. Not till this was effected did the stranger 
bestow a glance on any other object ; then he turned and 
showed the astonished Hurons the noble brow, fine person, and 
eagle eye of a young warrior, in the paint and panoply of a 
Delaware. He held a rifle in each hand, the butts of both rest- 
ing on the earth, while from one dangled its proper pouch and 
horn. This was Killdeer, which even as he looked boldly and 
in defiance on the crowd around him, he suffered to fall back 
into the hands of the proper owner. The presence of two armed 
men, though it was in their midst, startled the Hurons. Their 
rifles were scattered about against the different trees, and their 
only weapons were their knives and tomahawks. Still, they 
had too much self-possession to betray fear. It was little likely 
that so small a force would assail so strong a band ; and each 
man expected some extraordinary proposition to succeed so 
decisive a step. The stranger did not seem disposed to disap- 
point them ; he prepared to speak. 

“ Hurons,” he said, “ this earth is very big. The great lakes 
are big, too ; there is room beyond them for the Iroquois ; there 
is room for the Delawares on this side. I am Chingachgook, 
the son of Uncas; the kinsman of Tamenund. This is my 
betrothed ; that pale-face is my friend. My heart was heavy 
when I missed him. All the Delaware girls are waiting for 


THE DEKRSLA YER 


Wah ; they wonder that she stays away so long. Come, let us 
say farewell, and go on our path.” 

“ Hurons, this is your mortal enemy, the Great Serpent of 
them you hate ! ” cried Briarthorn. “ If he escape, blood will 
be in your moccasin prints from this spot to the Canadas. I 
am all Huron.” 

As the last words were uttered, the traitor cast his knife at 
the naked breast of the Delaware. A quick movement of the 
arm, on the part of Hist, who stood near, turned aside the 
blow, the dangerous weapon buiying its point in a pine. At 
the next instant, a similar weapon glanced from the hand of 
the Serpent, and quivered in the recreant’s heart. A minute 
had scarcely elapsed from the moment in which Chingachgook 
bounded into the circle, and that in which Briarthorn fell, like 
a dog, dead in his tracks. The rapidity of events prevented 
the Hurons from acting; but this catastrophe permitted no 
further delay, A common exclamation followed, and the whole 
party '^^’as in motion. At this instant, a sound unusual to the 
woods was heard, and every Huron, male and female, paused to 
listen, with ears erect and faces filled with expectation. The 
sound was regidar and heavy, as if the earth were struck with 
beetles. Objects became visible among the trees of the back- 
gTound, and a body of troops was seen advancing with measured 
tread. They came upon the charge, the scarlet of the king’s 
livery shining among the bright green foliage of the forest. 

The scene that followed is not easily described. It was 
one in which wild confusion, despair, and frenzied efforts were 
so blended as to destroy the unity and distinctness of the 
action. A general yell burst from the inclosed Hurons ; it 
was succeeded by the hearty cheers of England. Still, not a 
musket or rifle was fired, though that steady, measured tramp 
continued, and the bayonet was seen gleaming in advance of a 
line that counted nearly sixty men. The Hurons were taken 
at a fearful disadvantage. On three sides was the water, while 


576 


THE DKERSLA YEN 


their formidable and trained foes cut tliem off from flight on 
the fourth. Each warrior rushed for his arms, and then all 
on the point, man, woman, and child, eagerly sought the covers. 
In this scene of confusion and dismay, however, nothing could 
surpass the discretion and coolness of Deerslayer. His first care 
was to place Judith and Hist behind trees, and he looked for 
Hetty ; but she had been hurried away in the crowd of Huron 
women. This effected, he threw himself on a flank of the retir- 
ing Hurons, who were inclining off towards the southern mar- 
gin of the point, in the hope of escaping through the water. 
Deerslayer watched his opportunity, and finding two of his 
recent tormentors in a range, his rifle first broke the silence of 
the terrific scene. The bullet brought down both at one dis- 
charge. This drew a general fire from the Hurons, and the 
rifle and war-cry of the Serpent were heard in the clamor. 
Still, the trained men returned no answering volley, the whoop 
and piece of Hurry alone being heard on their side, if we except 
the short, prompt word of authority, and that heavy, measured, 
and menacing tread. Presently, however, the shrieks, groans, 
and denunciations that usually accompany the use of the bay- 
onet, followed. That terrible and deadly weapon was glutted 
in vengeance. The scene that succeeded was one of those, of 
which so many have occurred in our own times, in which 
neither age nor sex forms an exemption to the lot of a savage 
warfare. 


THE DEERSL A YE R 


577 


CHAPTER XXXI 

“ The flower that smiles to-day, 

To-morrow dies ; 

All that we wish to stay, 

Tempts and then flies : 

What is this world’s delight? 

Lightning that mocks the night, 

Brief even as bright.” 

Shelley. 

The picture next presented by the point of land that the 
unfortunate Hurons had selected for their last place of encamp- 
ment, need scarcely be laid before the eyes of the reader. Hap- 
pily for the more tender-minded and the more timid, the trunks 
of the trees, the leaves, and the smoke, had concealed much of 
that which passed ; and night shortly after drew its veil over 
the lake, and the whole of that seemingly interminable wilder- 
ness, which may be said to have then stretched, with few and 
immaterial interruptions, from the banks of the Hudson to the 
shores of the Pacific Ocean. Our business carries us into the 
following day, when light returned upon the earth, as sunny 
and as smiling as if nothing extraordinary had occurred. 

When the sun rose on the following morning, every sign of 
hostility and alarm had vanished from the basin of the Glim- 
merglass. The frightful event of the • preceding evening had 
left no impression on the placid sheet, and the untiring hours 
pursued their course in the placid order prescribed by the 
powerful Hand that set them in motion. The birds were again 
skimming the water, or were seen poised on the wing high 
above the tops of the tallest pines of the mountains, ready to 
make their swoops in obedience to the irresistible laws of their 
nature. In a Avord, nothing was changed but the air of move- 
ment and life that prevailed in and around the castle. Here, 
indeed, was an alteration that must have struck the least observ- 

2 p 


m 


THE DEERSLAYER 


ant eye. A sentinel, who wore the light-infantry uniform of 
a royal regiment, paced the platform with measured tread, and 
some twenty men of the same corps lounged about the place, or 
were seated in the ark. Their arms were stacked under the 
eye of their comrade on post. Two officers stood examining 
the shore with the ship’s glass so often mentioned. Their looks 
were directed to that fatal point, where scarlet coats were still 
to be seen gliding among the trees, and where the magnifying 
power of the instrument also showed spades at work, and the 
sad duty of interment going on. Several of the common men 
bore proof on their persons that their enemies had not been 
overcome entirely without resistance ; and the youngest of the 
two officers on the platform wore an arm in a sling. His com- 
panion, who commanded the party, had been more fortunate. 
He it was that used the glass, in making the reconnoissances 
in which the two were engaged. 

A sergeant approached to make a report. He addressed 
the senior of these officers as Captain Warley, while the other 
was alluded to as Mr. — which was equivalent to Ensign — 
Thornton. The former, it will at once be seen, was the officer 
who had been named with so much feeling in the parting 
dialogue between Judith and Hurry. He was, in truth, the 
very individual with whom the scandal of the garrisons had 
most freely connected the name of this beautiful but indiscreet 
girl. He was a hard-featured, red-faced man, of about five-and- 
thirty, but of a military carriage, and with an air of fashion 
that might easily impose on the imagination of one as ignorant 
of the world as Judith. 

“Craig is covering us with benedictions,” observed this 
person to his young ensign, with an air of indifference, as he 
shut the glass and handed it to his servant; “ to say the trutli, 
not without reason ; it is certainly more agreeable to be here in 
attendance on Miss Judith Hutter, than to be burying Indians 
on a point of the lake, however romantic the position or 


THE DEE RSL AYER 570 

brilliant the victory. By the way, Wright, is Davis still liv- 
ing ? ” 

“He died about ten minutes since, your honor,” returned 
the sergeant, to whom this question was addressed. “ I knew 
how it would be, as soon as I found the bullet had touched the 
stomach. I never knew a man who could hold out long, if he 
had a hole in his stomach.” 

“No; it is rather inconvenient for carrying away anything 
very nourishing,” observed Warley, gaping. “This being up 
two nights de suite, Arthur, plays the devil with a man’s facul- 
ties ! I ’m as stupid as one of those Dutch parsons on the 
Mohawk — I hope your arm is not painful, my dear boy ? ” 

“It draws a few grimaces from me, sir, as I suppose you 
see,” answered the youth, laughing at the very moment his 
countenance was a little awry with pain. “ But it may be 
. borne. I suppose Graham can spare a few minutes, soon, to 
look at my hurt.” 

“ She is a lovely creature, this Judith Hutter, after all, 
Thornton ; and it shall not be my fault, if she is not seen and 
admired in the parks ! ” resumed Warley, who thought little 
of his companion’s wound. . “ Your arm, eh ! Quite true. Go 
into the ark, sergeant, and tell Dr. Graham I desire he would 
look at Mr. Thornton’s injury as soon as he has done with the 
poor fellow with the broken leg. A lovely creature ! and she 
looked like a queen in that brocade dress in which we met her. 
I find all changed here ; father and mother both gone, the sister 
dying, if not dead, and none of the family left but the beauty ! 
This has been a lucky expedition all round, and promises to 
terminate better than Indian skirmishes in general.” 

“Am I to suppose, sir, that you are about to desert your 
colors, in the great corps of bachelors, and close the campaign 
with matrimony?” 

“ I, Tom Warley, turn Benedict ! Faith, my dear boy, you 
little know the corps you speak of, if you fancy any such thing. 


580 


THE DEERSLAYER 


I do suppose there are women in the colonies that a captain of 
light infantry need not disdain ; but they are not to be found 
up here on a mountain lake ; or even down on the Dutch river 
where we are posted. It is true my uncle, the general, once 
did me the favor to choose a wife for me, in Yorkshire ; but 
she had no beauty — and I would not marry a princess unless 
she were handsome.” 

“If handsome, you would marry a beggar?” 

“ Ay, these are the notions of an ensign ! Love in a cottage 
— doors — and windows — the. old story, for the hundredth 

time. The 20th don’t marry. We are not a marrying 

corps, my dear boy. There ’s the colonel, old Sir Edwin , 

now ; though a full general, he has never thought of a wife ; 
and when a man gets as high as a lieutenant-general, without 
matrimony, he is pretty safe. Then the lieutenant-colonel is 
confirmed^ as I tell my cousin, the bishop. The major is a 
widower, having tried matrimony for twelve months in his 
youth ; and we look upon him, now, as one of our most certain 
men. Out of ten captains, but one is in the dilemma; and 
he, poor devil, is always kept at regimental headquarters, as a 
sort of memento mori to the young men as they join. As for 
the subalterns, not one has ever yet had the audacity to speak 
of introducing a wife into the regiment. But your arm is 
troublesome, and we ’ll go ourselves and see what has become 
of Graham.” 

The surgeon who had accompanied the party was employed 
very differently from what the captain supposed. When the 
assault was over, and the dead and wounded were collected, 
poor Hetty had been found among the latter. A rifle-bullet 
had passed through her body, inflicting an injury that was 
known at a glance to be mortal. How this wound was received, 
no one knew; it was probably one of those casualties that 
ever accompany scenes like that related in the previous chapter. 
The Sumach, all tlie elderly women, and some of the Huron 


THE DEEESLA YER 


581 


girls, had fallen by the bayonet ; either in the confusion of the 
melee, or from the difficulty of distinguishing the sexes, where 
the dress was so simple. Much the greater portion of the war- 
riors suffered on the spot. A few had escaped, however, and 
two or three had been taken unharmed. As for the wounded, 
the bayonet saved the surgeon much trouble. Rivenoak had 
escaped with life and limb ; but was injured and a prisoner. 
As Captain Warley and his ensign went into the ark, they 
passed him, seated in dignified silence, in one end of the scow, 
his head and leg bound, but betraying no visible signs of 
despondency or despair. That he mourned the loss of his 
tribe, is certain ; still, he did it in a manner that best became 
a warrior and a chief. 

• The two soldiers found their surgeon in the principal room 
of the ark. He was just quitting the pallet of Hetty, with 
an expression of sorrowful regret on his hard, pock-marked, 
Scottish features, that it was not usual to see there. All his 
assiduity had been useless, and he was compelled reluctantly 
to abandon the expectation of seeing the girl survive many 
hours. Dr. Graham was accustomed to deathbed scenes, and 
ordinarily they produced but little impression on him. In all 
that relates to religion, his was one of those minds which, 
in consequence of reasoning much on material things, logically 
and consecutively, and overlooking the total want of premises 
which such a theory must ever possess, through its want of a 
primary agent, had become skeptical ; leaving a vague opinion 
concerning the origin of things, that with high pretensions to 
philosophy, failed in the first of all philosophical principles, 
a cause. To him religious dependence appeared a weakness ; 
but when he found one gentle and young like Hetty, with a 
mind beneath the level of her race, sustained at such a moment 
by these pious sentiments, and that, too, in a way that many a 
sturdy warrior and reputed hero might have looked upon with 
envy, he found himself affected by the sight, to a degree that he 


582 


THE DEERSLAYER 


would have been ashamed to confess. Edinburgh and Aber- 
deen, then as now, supplied no small poition of the medical 
men of the British service ; and Dr. Graham, as indeed his 
name and countenance equally indicated, was, by birth, a 
North Briton. 

“Here is an extraordinary exhibition for a forest, and one 
but half-gifted with reason,” he observed, with a decided Scotch 
accent, as Warley and the ensign entered; “I just hope, 
gentlemen, that when we three shall be called on to quit the 

20th we may be found as resigned to go on the half-pay 

of another existence as this poor demented chiel ! ” 

“ Is there no hope that she can survive the hurt 1 ” demanded 
Warley, turning his eyes towards the pallid Judith, on whose 
cheeks, however, two large spots of red had settled as soon as 
he came into the cabin. 

“ No more than there is for Chairlie Stuart. Approach and 
judge for yourselves, gentlemen ; ye ’ll see faith exemplified in 
an exceeding and wonderful manner. There is a sort of arhit- 
rium between life and death, in actual conflict in the poor 
girl’s mind, that renders her an interesting study to a philoso- 
pher. Mr. Thornton, I ’m at your service now ; we can just 
look at the arm, in the next room, while we speculate as much 
as we please on the operations and sinuosities of the human 
mind.” 

The surgeon and ensign retired, and Warley had an opportu- 
nity of looking about him more at leisure, and with a better 
understanding of the nature and feelings of the group collected 
in the cabin. Poor Hetty had been placed on her own simple 
bed, and was reclining in a half-seated attitude, with the 
approaches of death on her countenance, though they were 
singularly dimmed by the lustre of an expression, in which all 
the intelligence of her entire being appeared to be concentrated. 
Judith and Hist were near her ; the former seated in deep 
grief, the latter standing, in readiness to offer any of the gentle 


THE DEERSLAYER 


583 


attentions of feminine care. Deerslayer stood at the end of the 
pallet, leaning on Killdeer, unharmed in person ; all the fine, 
martial ardor that had so lately glowed in his countenance, 
having given place to the usual look of honesty and benevo- 
lence ; qualities of wdiich the expression was now softened by 
manly regret and pity. The Serpent was in the background of 
the picture, erect and motionless as a statue ; but so observ- 
ant, that not a look of the eye escaped his own keen glance. 
Hurry completed the group ; being seated on a stool near the 
door, like one who felt himself out of place in such a scene, but 
who was ashamed to quit it unbidden. 

“ Who is that in scarlet ? ” asked Hetty, as soon as the 
captain’s uniform caught her eye. “Tell me, Judith, is it the 
friend of Hurry ? ” 

“ ’T is the officer who commands the troops that have rescued 
us all from the hands of the Hurons,” was the low answer of 
the sister. 

“ Am I rescued, too ? I thought they said I was shot, and 
about to die. Mother is ’dead, and so is father ; but you are 
living, Judith, and so is Hurry. I was afraid Hurry would be 
killed, when I heard him shouting among the soldiers.” 

“Never mind — never mind, dear Hetty,” interrupted 
Judith, sensitively alive to the preservation of her sister’s 
secret, more, perhaps, at such a moment than at any other. 
“ Hurry is well, and Deerslayer is well, and the Delaware is 
well, too.” 

“ How came they to shoot a poor girl like me, and let so 
many men go unharmed ? I did n’t know that the Hurons were 
so wicked, Judith ? ” 

“ ’T was an accident, poor Hetty ; a sad accident it has been ! 
No one would willingly have injured you.'' 

“I am glad of that — I thought it strange; I am feeble- 
minded, and the red men have never harmed me before. I 
should be sorry to think that they had changed their minds. 


584 


THE DEERSLAYER 


I am glad, too, Judith, that they have n’t hurt Hurry. Deer- 
slayer I don’t think God will suffer any one to harm. It was 
very fortunate the soldiers came as they did, though, for fire 
will burn ! ” 

“It was indeed fortunate, my sister; God’s holy name be 
forever blessed for the mercy ! ” 

“I dare say, Judith, you know some of the officers ; you 
used to know so many.” 

Judith made no reply ; she hid her face in her hands and 
groaned. Hetty gazed at her in -wonder ; but naturally sup- 
posing her own situation was the cause of this grief, she kindly 
offered to console her sister. 

“Don’t mind me, dear Judith,” said the affectionate and 
pure-hearted creature, “ I don’t suffer, if I do die ; why, father 
and mother are both dead, and what happens to them may well 
happen to me. You know I am of less account than any of 
the family ; therefore, few will think of me after I ’m in the i 
lake.” . : 

“No, no, no — poor, dear, dear Hetty ! ” exclaimed Judith, in 
an uncontrollable burst of sorrow, “I, at least, will ever think 'i 
of you ; and gladly, 0 how^ gladly would I exchange places with i 
you, to be the pure, excellent, sinless creature you are ! ” | 

Until now. Captain Warley had stood leaning against the I 
door of the cabin ; when this outbreak of feeling, and perchance J; 
of penitence, escaped the beautiful girl, he walked slowdy and J 
thoughtfully away ; even passing the ensign, then suffering K 
under the surgeon’s care, without noticing him. 1: 

“I have got my Bible here, Judith !” returned her sister, int 
a voice of triumph. “It’s true I can’t read any longer;! 
there ’s something the matter with my eyes — you look dim and 1 ; 
distant — and so does Hurry, now I look at him ; well, I never 5 ; 
could have believed that Henry March would Imve so dull a^_ 
look. What can be the reason, Judith, that I see so badly j 
to-day? I, who mother always said had the best eyes in thet 


THE DEERS LAYER 585 

whole family. Yes, that was it ; my mind was feeble — what 
people call half-witted — but my eyes were so good.” 

Again Judith groaned ; this time no feeling of self, no retro- 
spect of the past, caused the pain. It was the pure, heartfelt 
sorrow of sisterly love, heightened by a sense of the meek 
humility and perfect truth of the being before her. At that 
moment, she would gladly have given up her own life to save 
that of Hetty. As the last, however, was beyond the reach of 
human power, she felt there was nothing left her but sorrow. 
At this moment Warley returned to the cabin, drawn by a 
secret impulse he could not withstand, though he felt, just 
then, as if he would gladly abandon the American continent 
forever, w'ere it practicable. Instead of pausing at the door, he 
now advanced so near the pallet of the sufferer as to come more 
plainly within her gaze. Hetty could still distinguish large 
objects, and her look soon fastened on him. 

“ Are you the officer that came with Hurry ? ” she asked. “ If 
you are, we ought all to thank you ; for though I am hurt, the 
rest have saved their lives. Did Harry March tell you where 
to find us, and how much need there was of your services ? ” 

“ The news of the party reached us by means of a friendly 
runner,” returned the captain, glad to relieve his feelings by 
this appearance of a friendly communication ; “ and I was 
immediately sent out to cut it off. It was fortunate, certainly, 
that we met Hurry Harry, as you call him, for he acted as a 
guide; and it was not less fortunate that we heard a firing, 
which I now understand was merely a shooting at the mark, for 
it not only quickened our march, but called us to the right side 
of the lake. The Delaware saw us on the shore, with the glass, 
it would seem ; and he and Hist, as I find his squaw is named, 
did us excellent service. It was really altogether a fortunate 
concurrence of circumstances, Judith.” 

“Talk not to me of anything fortunate, sir,” returned the 
girl, huskily, again concealing her face. “To me the world is 


586 


THE DEERSLAYER 


full of misery. I wish never to hear of marks, or rifles, or ; 
soldiers, or men again.” i 

“Do you know my sister?” asked Hetty, ere the rebuked f 
soldier had time to rally for an answer. “ How came you to j 
know that her name is Judith ? You are right, for that is her i 
name ; and I am Hetty ; Thomas Hutter’s daughters.” I 

“ For heaven’s sake, dearest sister ; for my sake, beloved . 
Hetty,” interposed Judith, imploringly, “ say no more of this.” I 

Hetty looked surprised ; Wt accustomed to comply, she | 
ceased her awkward and painful interrogatories of Warley, bend- | 
ing her eyes towards the Bible, which she still held between her ! 
hands, as one would cling to a casket of precious stones, in a j 
shipwreck or a conflagration. Her mind now reverted to the 
- future, losing sight, in a great measure, of the scenes of the 
past. 

“We shall not long be parted, Judith,” she said; “when 
you die, you must be brought and buried in the lake, by the 
side of mother, too.” 

“Would to God, Hetty, that I lay there at this moment !” 

“No; that cannot be, Judith; people must die before they 
have any right to be buried. ’T would be wicked to bury you, 
or for you to bury yourself while living. Once I thought of 
burying myself ; God kept me from that sin.” 

“ You ! — you, Hetty Hutter, think of such an act ? ” ex- 
claimed Judith, looking up in uncontrollable surprise, for she 
well knew nothing passed the lips of her conscientious sister that 
was not religiously true. 

“Yes, I did, Judith; but God has forgotten — no, \\q forgets 
nothing — but he foy'given it,” returned the dying girl, 
with the subdued manner of a repentant child. “ ’T was after 
mother’s death ; I felt I had lost the best friend I had on earth, 
if not the only friend. ’T is true, you and flxther were kind 
to me, Judith, but I was so feeble-minded I knew I should give 
you trouble ; and then you were so often ashamed of such a 


THE DEEliSLAYER 


587 


sister and daughter ; and ’t is hard to live in a world where all 
look upon you as below them. I thought then if I could bury 
myself by the side of mother, I should be happier in the lake 
than in the hut.” 

“ Forgive me — pardon me, dearest Hetty ; on my bended 
knees, I beg you to pardon me, sweet sister, if any word or act 
of mine drove you to so maddening and cruel a thought.” 

“Get up, Judith; kneel to God — don’t kneel to me. Just 
so I felt when mother was dying. I remembered everything I 
had said and done to vex her, and could have kissed her feet for 
forgiveness. I think it must be so with all dying people ; 
though, now I think of it, I don’t remember to have had such 
feelings on account of father.” 

Judith arose, hid her face in her apron, and wept. A long 
pause — one of more than two hours — succeeded, during which 
Warley entered and left the cabin several times ; apparently 
uneasy when absent, and yet unable to remain. He issued vari- 
ous orders, which his men proceeded to execute ; and there was 
an air of movement with the party, more especially as Mr. Craig, 
the lieutenant, had got through the unpleasant duty of burying 
the dead, and had sent for instructions from the shore, desiring 
to know what he was to do with his detachment. During this 
interval, Hetty slept a little, and Deerslayer and Chingachgook 
left the ark to confer together. But, at the end of the time 
mentioned, the surgeon passed upon the platform ; and with a 
degree of feeling his comrades had never before observed in one 
of his habits, he announced that the patient was rapidly drawing 
near her end. On receiving this intelligence, the group collected 
again ; curiosity to witness such a death — or a better feeling — 
drawing to the spot men who had so lately been actors in a scene 
seemingly of so much greater interest and moment. By this 
time Judith had got to be inactive, through grief ; and Hist 
alone was performing the little offices of feminine attention that 
are so appropriate to the sick bed. Hetty herself had under- 


588 


THE DEERSLAYER 


gone no other apparent change, than the general failing that 
indicated the near approach of dissolution. All that she pos- 
sessed of mind was as clear as ever ; and, in some respects, her 
intellect, perhaps, was more than usually active. 

“ Don’t grieve for me so much, Judith,” said the gentle suf- 
ferer, after a pause in her remarks ; “I shall soon see mother ; ' 

I think I see her now ; her face is just as sweet and smiling as 
it used to be ! Perhaps when I ’m dead, God will give me all 
my mind, and I shall become a more fitting companion for 
mother than I ever was before.” 

“ You will be an angel in heaven, Hetty,” sobbed the sister ; 

“ no spirit there will be more worthy of its holy residence ! ” 

“ I don’t understand it quite ; still I know it must be all true ; 

I ’ve read it in the Bible. How dark it ’s becoming ! Can it 
be night so soon ? I can hardly see you at all ; where is Hist 1 ” 

“ I here, poor girl ; why, you no see me ? ” 

“I do see you ; but I could n’t tell whether ’t was you or ■ 
Judith. I believe I shan’t see you much longer. Hist.” ; 

“Sorry for that, poor Hetty. Never mind; pale-face got a 
heaven for girl as well as for warrior.” 

“ Where ’s the Serpent ? Let me speak to him ; give me his - 
hand ; so ; I feel it. Delaware, you will love and cherish this , 
young Indian woman ; I know how fond she is of you ; and you 
must be fond of her. Don’t treat her as some people treat their 
wives; be a real husband to her. Now bring Deerslayer near t 
me ; give me his hand.” 

This request was complied with, and the hunter stood by the s 
side of the pallet, submitting to the wishes of the girl with the * 
docility of a child. 

“I feel, Deerslayer,” she resumed, “though I couldn’t tellv 
why — but I feel that you and I are not going to part forever. L 
’T is a strange feeling ! I never had it before ; I wonder whatii 
it comes from ! ” 1; 

“’Tis God encouraging you in extremity, Hetty ; as such it H 


THE DEERSLA YER 


589 


ought to be harbored and respected. Yes, we shall meet ag’in, 
though it may be a long time first, and in a far distant land.” 

“ Do you mean to be buried in the lake too ? If so, that may 
account for the feeling.” 

“ ’T is little likely, gal ; ’t is little likely ; but there ’s a region 
for Christian souls where there ’s no lakes nor woods, they say ; 
though why there should be none of the last, is more than I can 
account for ; seeing that pleasantness and peace is the object in 
view. My grave will be found in the forest, most likely, but 
I hope my spirit will not be far from your’n.” 

“ So it must be, then. I am too weak-minded to understand 
these things, but I feel that you and I will meet again. Sister, 
where are you ? I can’t see now anything but darkness. It 
must be night, surely ! ” 

“ Oh ! Hetty, I am here at your side ; these are my arms that 
are round you,” sobbed Judith. “ Speak, dearest ; is there any- 
thing you wish to say, or have done, in this awful moment ! ” 

By this time Hetty’s sight had entirely failed her. Neverthe- 
less, death approached with less than usual of its horrors, as if 
in tenderness to one of her half-endowed faculties. She was pale 
as a corpse, but her breathing was easy and unbroken, while her 
voice, though lowered almost to a whisper, remained clear and 
distinct. When her sister put this question, however, a blush 
diffused itself over the' features of the dying girl ; so faint, how- 
ever, as to be nearly imperceptible ; resembling that hue of the 
rose which is thought to portray the tint of modesty, rather than 
the dye of the flower in its richer bloom. No one but Judith 
detected this expression of feeling, one of the gentle expressions 
of womanly sensibility, even in death. On her, however, it was 
not lost, nor did she conceal from herself the cause. 

“ Hurry is here, dearest Hetty,” whispered the sister, with 
her face so near the sufferer as to keep the words from other ears. 
“ Shall I tell him to come and receive your good wishes ? ” 

A gentle pressure of the hand answered in the affirmative. 


590 


THE DEERSLAYER 


and then Hurry was brought to the side of the pallet. It is ; 
probable that this handsome but rude woodsman had never s 
before found himself so awkwardly placed, though the inclina- ; 
tion which Hetty felt for him (a sort of secret yielding to the | 
instincts of nature, rather than any unbecoming impulse of an i 
ill-regulated imagination), was too pure and unobtrusive to have 
created the slightest suspicion of the circumstance in his mind. 
He allowed Judith to put his hard, colossal hand between those I 
of Hetty, and stood waiting the result in awkward silence. 

“ This is Hurry, dearest,” whispered Judith, bending over her 
sister, ashamed to utter the words so as to be audible to herself ; ; 
“ speak to him, and let him go.” j 

“What shall I say, Judith?” • j 

“ Nay, whatever your own pure spirit teaches, my love. 
Trust to that, and you need fear nothing.” 

“ Good-by, Hurry,” murjnured the girl, with a gentle pressure , 
of his hand. “ I wish you would try and be more like Deer- 
slayer.” I 

These words were uttered with difficulty ; a faint flush suc- 
ceeded them for a single instant, then the hand was relinquished, 
and Hetty turned her face aside as if done with the world. The 
mysterious feeling that bound her to the young man, a senti- 
ment so gentle, as to be almost imperceptible to herself, and 
which could never have existed at all, had her reason possessed 
more command over her senses, was forever lost in thoughts of j 
a more elevated, though scarcely a purer character. j 

“ Of what are you thinking, my sweet sister ? ” whispered ! 
Judith ; “tell me, that I may aid you at this moment.” j 

“ Mother — I see mother, now, and bright beings around her I 
in the lake. Why is n’t father there ? It ’s odd that I can see ; 
mother when I can’t see you/ Farewell, Judith.” I 

The last words were uttered after a pause, and her sister ' 
had hung over her some time, in anxious watchfulness, before j 
she perceived that the gentle spirit had departed. Thus died ; 


THE DEERSLAYEk 


591 


Hetty Hutter, one of those mysterious links between the ma- 
terial and immaterial world, which, while they appear to be 
deprived of so much that is esteemed and necessary for this 
state of being, draw so near to, and offer so beautiful an illustra- 
tion of the truth, purity, and simplicity of another. 


CHAPTER XXXII. 


“ A baron’s chylde to be begylde ! it was a cursed dede ; 

To be felawe with an outlawe ! Almighty God forbede ! 

Yea, better were, the poor squyere, alone to forest yede, 

Than ye sholde say, another day, that by my cursM dede 
Ye were betrayed : wherefore, good mayde, the best rede that I can 
Is, that I to the grene wode go, alone, a banyshed man.” 

Nutbrowne Mayde. 

The day that followed proved to be melancholy, though one of 
much activity. The soldiers, who had so lately been employed 
in interring their victims, were now called on to bury their own 
dead. The scene of the morning had left a saddened feeling on 
all the gentlemen of the party, and the rest felt the influence of 
a similar sensation, in a variety of ways, and from many causes. 
Hour dragged on after hour until evening arrived, and then 
came the last melancholy offices, in honor of poor Hetty Hutter. 
Her body was laid in the lake by the side of that of the mother 
she had so loved and reverenced ; the surgeon, though actually 
an unbeliever, so far complying with the received decencies of 
life, as to read the funeral service over her grave, as he had pre- 
viously done over those of the other Christian slain. It mat- 
tered not ; that all-seeing eye which reads the heart, could not 
fail to discriminate between the living and the dead, and the 
gentle soul of the unfortunate girl was already far removed be- 
yond the errors or deceptions of any human ritual. These sim- 


o92 


THE JJEERSLA YElt 


pie rites, however, were not wholly wanting in suitable accoin- I 
paniments. The tears of Judith and Hist were shed freely, and j 
Deerslayer gazed upon the limpid water that now flowed over 
one whose spirit was even purer than its own mountain springs, 
with glistening eyes. Even the Delaware turned aside to con- 
ceal his weakness, while the common men gazed on the ceremony ; 
with wondering eyes and chastened feelings. 

The business of the day closed with this pious office. By 
order of the commanding officer all retired early to rest, for it 
was intended to begin the march homewards with the return of ! 
light. One party indeed, bearing the wounded, the prisoners, ' 
and the trophies, had left the castle in the middle of the day, 
under the guidance of Hurry, intending to reach the fort by 
shorter marches. It had been landed on the point so often i 
mentioned, or that described in our opening pages ; and when 
the sun set, was already encamped on the brow of the long, . 
broken, and ridgy hills that fell away towards the valley of the ' 
Mohawk. The departure of this detachment had greatly sim- '• 
plified the duty of the succeeding day, disencumbering its march ■ 
of its baggage and wounded, and otherwise leaving him who 
had issued the order greater liberty of action. 

Judith held no communication with any but Hist, after the | 
death of her sister, until she retired for the night. Her sorrow ' 
had been respected, and both the females had been left wdth 
the body, unintruded on to the last moment. The rattling of ' 
tlie drum broke the silence of that tranquil water, and the ' 
echoes of the tattoo were heard among the mountains so soon i 
after the ceremony was over as to preclude the danger of inter- 
ruption. That star which had been the guide of Hist, rose on | 
a scene as silent as if the quiet of nature had never yet been 
disturbed by the labors or passions of man. One solitary ( 
sentinel, with his relief, paced the platform throughout the 1 1 
night ; and morning was ushered in, as usual, by the martial 
beat of the reveille. : 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


593 


Military precision succeeded to the desultory proceedings of 
border-men, and when a hasty and frugal breakfast was taken, 
the party began its movement towards the shore, with a regu- 
larity and order, that prevented noise or confusion. Of all the 
officers, Warley alone remained. Craig headed the detachment 
in advance, Thornton was with the wounded, and Graham ac- 
companied his patients, as a matter of course. Even the chest 
of Hutter, with all the more valuable of his effects, was borne 
away, leaving nothing behind that was worth the labor of a 
removal. Judith was not sorry to see that the captain respected 
her feelings, and that he occupied himself entirely with the duty 
of his command, leaving her to her own discretion and feelings. 
It was understood by all, that the place was to be totally aban- 
doned ; but beyond this no explanations were asked or given. 

The soldiers embarked in the ark, with the captain at their 
head. He had inquired of Judith in what way she chose to 
proceed, and understanding her wish to remain with Hist to the 
last moment, he neither molested her with requests, or offended 
her with advice. There was but one safe and familiar trail to 
the Mohawk ; and on that, at the proper hour, he doubted not 
that they should meet in amity, if not in renewed intercourse. 

When all were on board, the sweeps were manned, and the 
ark moved in its sluggish manner towards the distant point. 
Deerslayer and Chingachgook now lifted two of the canoes from 
the water, and placed them in the castle. The windows and 
door were then barred, and the house was left, by means of the 
trap, in the manner already described. On quitting the pali- 
sades, Hist was seen in the remaining canoe, where the Delaware 
immediately joined her, and paddled away, leaving Judith stand- 
ing alone on the platform. Owing to this prompt proceeding 
Deerslayer found himself alone with the beautiful and still 
weeping mourner. Too simple to suspect anything, the young 
man swept the light boat round, and received its mistress in it, 
when he followed the course already taken by his friend. 

2q 


594 


THE DEERSLAYER 


The direction to the point led diagonally past, and at no great 
distance from, the graves of the dead. As the canoe glided by, 
Judith, for the first time that morning, spoke to her companion. 
She said but little, merely uttering a simple request to stop for 
a minute or two, ere she left the place. 

“ I may never see this spot again, Deerslayer,” she said, “ and | 
it contains the bodies of my mother and sister ! Is it not pos- 
sible, think you, that the innocence of one of these beings may 
answer, in the eyes of God, for the salvation of both ? ’’ 

“ I don’t understand it so, Judith ; though I ’m no mission- | 
ary, and am but poorly taught. Each spirit answers for its 
own backslidings ; though a hearty repentance will satisfy 
God’s laws.” 

“ Then must my poor, poor mother be in heaven ! Bitterly i 
— bitterly has she repented of her sins ; and surely her sufter- 
ings in this life ought to count as something against her suf- 
' ferings in the next ! ” 

“ All this goes beyond me, Judith. I strive to do right, here, 
as the surest means of keeping all right, hereafter. Hetty was 
oncommon, as all that kiiow’d her must allow ; and her soul 
was as fit to consort with angels, the hour it left its body, as 
that of any saint in the Bible ! ” 

. “ I do believe you only do her justice ! Alas ! alas ! — that 
there should be so great differences between those who were 
nursed at the same breast, slept in the same bed, and dwelt 
under the same roof ! But, no matter, — move the canoe a 
little farther east, Deerslayer ; the sun so dazzles my eyes that 
I cannot .see the graves. This is Hetty’s, on the right of 
mother’s 1 ” 

“ Sartain — you asked that of us ; and all are glad to do as 
you wish, Judith, when you do that which is right.” 

The girl gazed at him near a minute, in silent attention ; 
tjien she turned her eyes backward, at the castle. 

“This lake will soon be entirely deserted,” she said, “ and 


THE DEERSLAYER 


595 


this, too, at a moment when it will be a more secure dwelling- 
place than ever. What has so lately happened will prevent 
the Iroquois from venturing again to visit it, for a long time to 
come.” 

“That it will! — yes, that may be set down as settled. I 
do not mean to pass thisaway, ag’in, so long as the war lasts ; 
for, to my mind, no Huron moccasin will leave its print on the 
leaves of this forest, until their traditions have forgotten to tell 
their young men of their disgrace and rout.” 

“ And do you so delight in violence and bloodshed ? I had 
thought better of you^ Deerslayer — believed you one who 
could find his happiness in a quiet, domestic home, with an 
attached and loving wife, ready to study your wishes, and 
healthy and dutiful children, anxious to follow in your footsteps, 
and to become as honest and just as yourself.” 

“Lord, Judith, what a tongue you ’re mistress of! Speech 
and looks go hand in hand, like ; and what one can’t do, the 
other is pretty sartain to perform ! Such a gal, in a month, 
might spoil the stoutest warrior in the colony.” 

“ And am I then so mistaken ? Do you really love war, 
Deerslayer, better than the hearth and the affections 1 ” 

“ I understand your meaning, gal ; yes, I do understand 
what you mean, I believe, though I don’t think you altogether 
understand me. Warrior I may now call myself, I suppose, for 
I ’ve both fou’t and conquered, which is sufiicient for the name ; 
neither will I deny that I ’ve feeliii’s for the callin’, which is 
both manful and honorable, when carried on accordin’ to nat’ral 
gifts — but I ’ve no relish for blood. Youth is youth, howsever, 
and a Mingo is a Mingo. If the young men of this region 
stood by, and suffered the vagabonds to overrun the land, why, 
we might as well all turn Trenchers at once, and. give up 
country and kin. I ’m no fire-eater, Judith, or one that likes 
fightiii’ for fightiii’s sake; but I can see no great difference 
atween givin’ up territory afore a war, out of a dread of war^ 


596 


THE DEERSLAYER 


and givirC it up a’ ter a war, because we canH help it — onless 
it he that the last is the most manful and honorable.’^ 

“No woman would ever wish to see her husband or brother 
stand by, and submit to insult and wrong, Deerslayer, however 
she might mourn the necessity of his running into the dangers 
of battle. But you’ve done enough already, in clearing this 
region of the Hurons; since to you is principally owing the 
credit of our late victory. Now listen to me patiently, and 
answer me with that native honesty, which it is as pleasant 
to regard in one of your sex as it is unusual to meet with.” 

Judith paused; for now that she was on the very point of 
explaining herself, native modesty asserted its power, notwith- 
standing the encouragement and confidence she derived from 
the great simplicity of her companion’s character. Her cheeks, 
which had so lately been pale, flushed, and her eyes lighted 
with some of their former brilliancy. Feeling gave expression 
to her countenance, and softness to her voice, rendering her 
who was always beautiful, trebly seductive and winning. 

“Deerslayer,” she said, after a considerable pause, “this is 
not a moment for affectation, deception, or a want of frankness 
of any sort. Here, over my mother’s grave, and over the grave 
of truth-loving, truth-telling Hetty, everything like unfair 
dealing seems to be out of place. I will therefore speak to 
you without any reserve, and without any dread of being mis- 
understood. You are not an acquaintance of a week, but it 
appears to me as if I had known you for years. So much, and 
so much that is important, has taken place within that short 
time, that the sorrows, and dangers, and escapes of a whole life 
have been crowded into a few days ; and they who have suffered 
and acted together in such scenes, ought not to feel like 
strangers. I know that what I am about to say might be mis- 
understood by most men, but I hope for a generous construc- 
tion of my course from you. We are not here dwelling among 
the arts and deceptions of the settlements, but young people 


THE DEE RSL AYER 


597 


who have no occasion to deceive each other, in ' any manner or 
form. I hope I make myself understood ? ” 

“Sartain, Judith; few convarse better than yourself, and 
none more agreeable, like. Your words are as pleasant as your 
looks.” 

“ It is the manner in which you have .so often praised those 
looks, that gives me courage to proceed. Still, Deerslayer, it is 
not easy for one- of my sex and years to forget all her lessons of 
infancy, all her habits, and her natural diffidence, and say openly 
what her heart feels ! ” 

“ Why not, Judith 1 Why shouldn ’t women as well as men 
deal fairly and honestly by their fellow-creatur’s ? I see no rea- 
son why you should not speak as plainly as myself, when there 
is anything ra’ally important to be said.” 

This indomitable diffidence, which still prevented the young 
man from suspecting the truth, would have completely discour- 
aged the girl, had not her whole soul, as well as her whole heart, 
been set upon making a desperate effort to rescue herself from a 
future that she dreaded with a horror as vivid as the distinctness 
with which she fancied she foresaw it. This motive, however, 
raised her above all common considerations, and she persevered 
even to her own surprise, if not to her great confusion. 

“ I will — I must deal as plainly with you, as I would with 
poor, dear Hetty, were that sweet child living ! ” she continued, 
turning pale, instead of blushing, the high resolution by which 
she was prompted reversing the effect that such a procedure 
would ordinarily produce on one of her sex ; “ yes, I will 
smother all other feelings, in the one that is now uppermost ! 
You love the woods and the life that we pass, here, in the 
wilderness, away from the dwellings and towns of the whites.” 

“As I loved my parents, Judith, when they was living! 
This very spot would be all creation to me, could this war be 
fairly over, once; and the settlers kept at a distance.” 

“ Why quit it, then ? It has no owner — at least none who 


598 


THE DEERSLAYER 


can claim a better right than mine, and that I freely give to 
you. Were it a kingdom, Deerslayer, I think I should delight 
to say the same. Let us then return to it, after we have seen 
the priest at the fort, and never quit it again, until God calls 
us away to that world where we shall find the spirits of my 
poor mother and sister.” 

A long, thoughtful pause succeeded ; Judith having covered 
her face with both her hands, after forcing herself to utter so 
plain a proposal, and Deerslayer musing equally in sorrow and 
surprise, on the meaning of the language he had just heard. At 
length the hunter broke the silence, speaking in a tone that was 
softened to gentleness by his desire not to olFend. 

“You haven’t thought wed of this, Judith,” he said; “no, 
your feelin’s are awakened by all that has lately happened, and be- 
lievin’ yourself to be without kindred in the world, you are in too 
great a haste to find some to fill the places of them that ’s lost.” 

“Were I living in a crowd of friends, Deerslayer, I should 
still think as I now think, — say as I now say,” returned Judith, 
speaking with her hands still shading her lovely face. 

“Thank you, gal — thank you, from the bottom of my heart. 
Howsever, I am not one to take advantage of a weak moment, 
when you ’re forgetful of your own great advantages, and fancy 
’arth and all it holds is in this little canoe. No — no — Judith, 
’t would be ongin’rous in me ; what you ’ve offered can never 
come to pass ! ” 

“ It all may be, and that without leaving cause of repentance 
to any,” answered Judith, with an impetuosity of feeling and 
manner, that at once unveiled her eyes. “We can cause the 
soldiers to leave our goods on the road, till we return, when 
they can easily be brought back to the house ; the lake will be 
no more visited by the enemy, this war at least ; all your skins 
may be readily sold at the garrison ; there you can buy the few 
necessaries we shall want, for I wish never to see the spot 
again ; and Deerslayer,” added the girl, smiling with a sweet- 


THE DEERSLAYER 


599 


ness and nature that the young man found it hard to resist, 
“as a proof how wholly I am and wish to be yours — how com- 
pletely I desire to be nothing but your wife, the very first fire 
that we kindle, after our return, shall be lighted with the bro- 
cade dress, and fed by every article I have that you may think 
unfit for the woman you wish to live with ! ” 

“Ah’s me! — you’re a winning and a lovely creatur’, Judith; 
yes, you are all that, and no one can deny it, and speak truth. 
These pictur’s are pleasant to the thoughts, but they might n’t 
prove so happy as you now think ’em. Forget it all, therefore, 
and let us paddle after the Sarpent and Hist, as if nothing had 
been said on the subject.” 

Judith was deeply mortified, and what is more, she was pro- 
foundly grieved. Still there was a steadiness and quiet in the 
manner of Deerslayer, that completely smothered her hopes, 
and told her that for once, her exceeding beauty had failed to 
excite the admiration and homage it was wont to receive. 
Women are said seldom to forgive those who slight their 
advances ; but this high-spirited and impetuous girl entertained 
no shadow of resentment, then or ever, against the fair-dealing 
and ingenuous hunter. At the moment, the prevailing feeling 
was the wish to be certain that there was no misunderstand- 
ing. After another painful pause, therefore, she brought the 
matter to an issue, by a question too direct to admit of 
equivocation. 

“ God forbid that we lay up regrets in after life, through any 
want of sincerity now,” she said. “I hope we understand each 
other at least. You will not accept me for a wife, Deerslayer?” 

“’Tis better for both that I shouldn’t take advantage of 
your own forgetfulness, Judith. We can never marry.” 

“ You do not love me, — cannot find it in your heart, per- 
haps, to esteem me, Deerslayer ! ” 

“ Everything in the way of fri’ndship, Judith — everything, 
even to sar vices and life itself. Yes, I ’d risk as much for you, 


600 


THE DEERSLAYER 


at this moment, as I would risk in behalf of Hist ; and that is 
sayin’ as much as I can say of any darter of woman. I do not 
think I feel towards either — mind I say Judith — as 

if I wished to quit father and mother — if father and mother 
was livin’ ; which, however, neither is — but if both was livin’, 
I do not feel towards any woman as if I wish’d to quit ’em in 
order to cleave unto Aer.” 

“ This is enough ! ” answered Judith, in a rebuked and 
smothered voice ; “I understand all that you mean. Marry 
you cannot, without loving ; and that love you do not feel for 
me. Make no answer if I am right, for I shall understand 
your silence. That will be painful enough of itself.” 

Deerslayer obeyed her, and he made no reply. For more 
than a minute the girl riveted her bright eyes on him as if to 
read his soul ; while he sat playing with the water, like a cor- 
rected school-boy. Then Judith herself dropped the end of her 
paddle, and urged the canoe away from the spot, with a move- 
ment as reluctant as the feelings which controlled it. Deer- 
slayer quietly aided the effort, however, and they were soon on 
the trackless line taken by the Delaware. 

In their way to the point, not another syllable was exchanged 
between Deerslayer and his fair companion. As Judith sat in 
the bow of the canoe, her back was turned towards him, else 
it is probable the expression of her countenance might have 
induced him to venture some soothing terms of friendship and 
regard. Contrary to what would have been expected, resent- 
ment was still absent, though the color frequently changed from 
the deep flush of mortification to the paleness of disappoint- 
ment. Sorrow, deep, heartfelt sorrow, however, was the pre- 
dominant emotion, and this ^vas betrayed in a manner not to 
be mistaken. 

As neither labored hard at the paddle, the ark had already 
arrived, and the soldiers had disembarked before the canoe of 
the two loiterers reached the point. Chingachgook had pre- 


THE DEERSLAYER 


601 


ceded it, and was already some distance in the wood, at a spot 
where the two trails, that to the garrison, and that to the vil- 
lages of the Delawares, separated. The soldiers, too, had taken 
up their line of march ; first setting the ark adrift again, with 
a reckless disregard of its fate. All this Judith saw, but she 
heeded it not. The Glimmerglass had no longer any charms 
for her ; and when she put her foot on the strand, she immedi- 
ately proceeded on the trail of the soldiers, without casting a 
single glance behind her. Even Hist was passed unnoticed ; 
that modest young creature shrinking from the averted face of 
Judith, as if guilty herself of some wrong-doing. 

“Wait you here, Sarpent,” said Deerslayer, as he followed 
in the footsteps of the dejected beauty, while passing his friend. 
“I will just see Judith among her party, and come and j’ine 
you.” 

A hundred yards had hid the couple from those in front, as 
well as those in the rear, when Judith turned and spoke. 

“ This will do, Deerslayer,” she said, sadly. “ I understand 
your kindness, but shall not need it. In a few minutes I shall 
reach the soldiers. As you cannot go with me on the journey 
of life, I do not wish you to go farther on this. But stop ; 
before we part I would ask you a single question. And I require 
of you, as you fear God and reverence the truth, not to deceive 
me in your answer. I know you do not love another ; and I 
can see but one reason why you cannot, will not love me. Tell 
me then, Deerslayer ” — The girl paused, the words she was 
about to utter, seeming to choke her. Then rallying all her 
resolution, with a face that flushed and paled at every breath 
she drew, she continued : “ Tell me, then, Deerslayer, if any- 
thing light of me, that Henry March has said, may not have 
influenced your feelings ? ” 

Tnith was the Deerslayer’s polar star. He ever kept it in 
view ' and it was nearly impossible for him to avoid uttering 
it, even when prudence demanded silence. Judith read his 


602 


THE DEERSLAYER 


answer in his countenance ; and with a heart nearly broken by i 
the consciousness of undeserving, she signed to him an adieu, ! 
and buried herself in the woods. For some time Deerslayer ! 
was irresolute as to his course ; but in the end, he retraced his 
steps and joined the Delaware. That night, the three “camped” 
on the head-waters of their own river, and the succeeding even- 
ing they entered the village of the tribe ; Chingachgook and : 
his betrothed, in triumph ; their companion, honored and ad- 
mired, but in a sorrow that it required months of activity to 
remove. 

The war that then had its rise was stirring and bloody. The 
Delaware chief rose among his people, until his name was never 
mentioned without eulogiums; while another Uncas, the last of 
his race, was added to the long line of warriors who bore that 
distinguished appellation. As for the Deerslayer, under the 
sobriquet of Hawkeye, he made his fame spread far and near, , 
until the crack of his rifle became as terrible to the ears of the | 
Mingos as the thunders of the Manitou. His services were | 
soon required by the officers of the Crown, and he especially ' 
attached himself, in the field, to one in particular, with whose 
after-life he had a close and important connection. | 

Fifteen years had passed away, ere it was in the power of | 
the Deerslayer to revisit the Glimmerglass. A peace had inter- i 
vened, and it was on the eve of another, and still more impor- 
tant war, when he and his constant friend, Chingachgook, were 
hastening to the forts to join their allies. A stripling accom- 
panied them, for Hist already slumbered beneath the pines of 
the Delawares, and the three survivors had now become insejD- 
arable. They reached the lake just as the sun was setting. Here 
all was unchanged ; the river still rushed through its bower of 
trees ; the little rock was wasting away by the slow action of 
the waves in the course of centuries ; the mountains stood in 
their native dress, dark, rich, and mysterious ; while the sheet 
glistened in its solitude, a beautiful gem of the forest. 


THE DEERSLAYER 


603 


The following morning the youth discovered one of the canoes 
drifted on the shore, in a state of decay. A little labor put it 
in a state for service, and they all embarked, with a desire to 
examine the place. All the points were passed, and Chingach- 
gook pointed out to his son the spot where the Hurons had 
first encamped, and the point whence he had succeeded in steal- 
ing his bride. Here they even landed ; but all trace of the 
former visit had disappeared.. Next they proceeded to the scene 
of the battle, and there they found a few of the signs that linger 
around such localities. Wild beasts had disinterred many of the 
bodies, and human bones were bleaching in the rains of sum- 
mer. Uncas regarded all with reverence and pity, though tradi- 
tions were already rousing his young mind to the ambition and 
sternness of a warrior. 

From the point, tlie canoe took its way towards the shoal, 
where the remains of the castle were still visible, a picturesque 
ruin. The storms of winter had long since unroofed the house, 
and decay had eaten into the logs. All the fastenings were 
untouched, but the seasons rioted in the place, as if in mockery 
at the attempt to exclude them. The palisades were rotting, 
as were the piles ; and it was evident that a few more recur- 
rences of winter, a few more gales and tempests, would sweep 
all into the lake, and blot the building from the face of that 
magnificent solitude. The graves could not be found. Either 
the elements had obliterated their traces, or time had caused 
those who looked for them to forget their position. 

The ark was discovered stranded on the eastern shore, where 
it had long before been driven, with the prevalent northwest 
winds. It lay on the sandy extremity of a long, low point, 
that is situated about two miles from the outlet, and which is 
itself fast disappearing before the action of the elements. The 
scow was filled with water, the cabin unroofed, and the logs 
were decaying. Some of its coarser furniture still remained, 
and the heart of Deerslayer beat quick as he found a ribbon of 


604 


THE DEERSLAYER 


Judith’s fluttering from a log. It recalled all her beauty, and, 
we may add, all her failings. Although the girl had never 
touched his heart, the Hawkeye, for so we ought now to call 
him, still retained a kind and sincere interest in her welfare. 
He tore away the ribbon and knotted it to the stock of Killdeer, 
which had been the gift of the girl herself. 

A few miles farther up the lake another of the canoes was 
discovered ; and on the point where the party Anally landed 
were found those which had been left there upon the shore. 
That in which the present navigation was made, and the one 
discovered on the eastern shore, had dropped through the decayed 
floor of the castle, drifted past the falling palisades, and had 
been throw as waifs upon the beach. 

From all these signs, it was probable the lake had not 
been visited since the occurrence of the final scene of our tale. 
Accident or tradition had rendered it again a spot sacred to 
nature ; the frequent wars, and the feeble population of the 
colonies, still confining the settlements within narrow bounda- 
ries. Chingachgook and his friend left the spot with melan- 
choly feelings. It had been the region of their First War-Path, 
and it carried back the minds of both to scenes of tenderness as 
well as to hours of triumph. They held their way towards the 
Mohawk in silence, however, to rush into new adventures, as 
stirring and as remarkable as those which had attended their 
opening career on this lovely lake. At a later day they returned 
to the place, where the Indian found a grave. 

Time and circumstances have drawn an impenetrable mystery 
around all else connected with the Hutters. They lived, erred, 
died, and are forgotten. None connected have felt sufficient 
interest in the disgraced and disgracing, to withdraw the veil ; 
and a century is about to erase even the recollection of their 
names. The history of crime is ever revolting, and it is fortu- 
nate that few love to dwell on its incidents. The sins of the 
family have long since been arraigned at the judgment-seat of 


THE DEERSLAYER . 605 

God, or are registered for the terrible settlement of the last great 
day. 

The same fate attended Judith. When Hawkeye reached the 
garrison on the Mohawk, he inquired anxiously after that lovely 
but misguided creature. None knew her — even her person 
was no longer remembered. Other officers had again and again 
succeeded the Warleys and Craigs and Grahams ; though an 
old sergeant of the garrison, who had lately come from England, 
was enabled to tell our hero that Sir Robert Warley lived on 
his paternal estates, and that there was a lady of rare beauty in 
the lodge, who had great influence over him, though she did not 
bear his name. Whether this was Judith, relapsed into her 
early failing, or some other victim of the soldier’s, Hawkeye 
never knew, nor would it be pleasant or profitable to inquire. 
We live in a world of transgressions and selfishness, and no pic- 
tures that represent us otherwise can be true ; though happily 
for human nature, gleamings of tliat pure spirit in whose likeness 
man has been fashioned, are to be seen, relieving its deformities, 
and mitigating, if not excusing, its crimes. 


THE END. 



NOTES 


Page 1. “The Deerslayer” was published in 1841,. and com- 
pleted the “ Leather-stocking” Series. “The Pioneers” appeared 
in 1823, “The Last of the Mohicans” in 1826, “The Prairie” 
in 1827, “The Pathfinder” in 1840. These five stories ought to 
be read in the following order: “The Deerslayer,” “The Last 
of the Mohicans,” “The Pathfinder,” “The Pioneers,” “The 
Prairie.” “The Last of the Mohicans” has been the most popu- 
lar of Cooper’s novels, but “The Deerslayer” and “The Path- 
finder ” are the most artistic and powerful. , 

P, 2. New York was founded in 1623. 

P. 3. A family of Dutch descent, long prominent in New York 
and Albany. 

P. 4. Sobriquet, an assumed name or a nickname. 

P. 6. The Delawares, a tribe of the great Algonquin family 
of Indians, scattered along the Delaware River in New York 
and Pennsylvania. They were at one time very powerful and 
important. • . 

P. 8. The Mohicans belonged to the Algonquin family, which, 
when the country was discovered, lived in the section now divided 
into New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. They were 
driven by the Iroquois confederacy into the valley of the Housa- 
tonic, and finally dispersed among other tribes. 

P. 9. Captain Kidd, a New York trader, appointed by William 
III. governor of New York ; commissioned to assist in suppressing 
piracy on the high seas, he turned pirate, and after an adventurous 
career was arrested, tried, and executed in England in 1700. The 
report that he buried treasure on points on the coast has led to 
much futile searching. 


607 


608 


NOTES 


P. 22. A famous Flemish painter, whose work was notable, 
among other qualities, for a marvellous richness of dark coloring. 

P. 48. The Moravians ; a religious community tracing its origin 
to the followers of John Huss, who were driven out of Moravia 
and Bohemia early in the eighteenth century ; now widely scat- 
tered through England, Holland, America, and other countries, 
but most numerous in Germany. 

P. 64. The Schoharie, a small river which flows west of the 
Catskill Mountains in the State of New York. 

P. 65. The French Indians were those who sided with the 
French against the English colonists. 

P. 92. Tappan Zee, as the Dutch called it, is the broad expanse 
of the Hudson River from the point where the Palisades end to 
Haverstraw. 

P. 1Q2. The loon, an aquatic bird, preying upon fish, very expert 
in diving and with a peculiarly wild, weird cry often regarded as 
ominous ; widely scattered and found on the shores of the lakes in 
the Adirondack region. 

P. 114. Manitou, a name commonly in use among the Indians 
to denote any object of worship or of fear ; sometimes used as the 
name of the Great Spirit. 

P. 188. Hostilities between the French and English broke out 
in 1759. 

P. 210. Bounties, premiums offered to induce men to enlist in 
public service, to encourage commerce or industry, or to secure 
public benefits of any kind. 

P. 299. Salvator Rosa, an Italian painter of the seventeenth 
century. 

P, 316. The Hurons, a tribe of Indians belonging to the Iroquois 
family ; nearly exterminated as a tribe in one of the early wars ; 
removed to the Lake Superior region, where they came under the 
influence of Marquette ; thence removed to Ohio and, in 1832, to 
Kansas. 

P. 366. hors de combat, out of the fight. 

P. 434. Wampum, shells and shellbeads, used by the Indians as 
money and also as ornaments. 


NOTES 


609 


P. 477. The Iroquois, one of the great families of North Ameri- 
can Indians, known as “the Six Nations,” a confederacy which 
included originally the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, 
and Senecas ; the Tuscaroras joining the confederation later. The 
combined tribes numbered about 15,000, and inhabited central 
and western New York. Each tribe was governed by its own 
sachems, but all matters affecting the confederation were settled 
by a council of sachems. They sometimes fought with and at 
other times against the French, Dutch, and English settlers ; dur- 
ing the war of the Revolution they were the allies of the English. 

P. 500. Medicines or medicine men were held in great respect 
by the Indians, and professed to be able to cure diseases, drive 
away evil spirits, and control the weather. 

P. 504. A Roman in great grief or emotion covered his face 
with his robe. 

P. 509. King George the Third. 

P. 513. The Gothic order of architecture was developed in west- 
ern Europe, and prevailed widely from 1200 to 1500. The high 
arches of the cathedrals, resting on great pillars with carved capi- 
tals, suggest the arching of trees in a forest. 






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’'Si: 





COLLEGE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS 
IN ENGLISH. 

For 1900, 1901, 1902/1903, 1904, 1905. 

Official List. 


REQUIRED FOR CAREFUL 

STUDY. 



Burke’s Speech on Conciliation 







with America 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

Macaulay’s Essays on Milton 





■- 


and Addison 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

Milton’s Minor I ns ... . 
Milton’s Paradise it, Books I. 


1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

and II. ........ 

1900 






Shakespeare’s Macbeth . . . 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

T905 

REQUIRED FOR 

GENERAL 

READING. 



Addison’s The Sir Roger de 







Coverley Papers 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

Carlyle’s Essay on Burns . . . 




1903 

1904 

1905 

Coleridge’s The Ancient Mariner 
Cooper’s The Last of the Mohi- 


1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

cans 

1900 

1901 

1902 




De Quincey’s The Flight of a 







Tartar I'ribe 

1900 






Dryden’s Palamon and Arcite . 
Eliot’s Silas Marner 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wake- 
field 

Lowell’s The Vision of Sir Laun- 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

fal 

1900 



1903 

1904 

1905 

Pope’s Iliad, Books I., VI., XXII., 







and XXIV 

1900 

1901 

1902 




Scott’s Ivanhoe 

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

Venice 


1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar . . 




1903 

1904 

1905 

Tennyson’s The Princess 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 


MACMILLAN’S 


POCKET SERIES OF ENGLISH. 
CLASSICS 

Uniform in Size and Binding 

Levanteen - - 25 Cents Each 


Comments 

Emily I. Meader, Classical High School, Providence . .. I. 

“ The samples of new English Classics meet a need I have felt in 
regard to the school editions of the classics. These books are artistic 
in make-up, as well as cheap. The clothes of our books, as of our 
friends, influence our enjoyment of their blessings. It has seemed to 
me incongruous to try to establish and cultivate a taste for good litera- 
ture, which is essentially and delightfully diverse, when that literature is 
bound in uniform drab cloth.” 

Mary F. Hendrick, Normal School, Cortlandt, N. Y. 

“Your English Classics Series is a little gem. It is cheap, durably 
bound, excellent type and paper, and especially well adapted for students’ 
work, as the notes are to the point and not burdensome.” 

Mary C. Lovejoy, Central High School, Buffalo, N. Y. 

“ I think you have provided such an attractive help for students that 
they will be incited to add to their collection of books.” 

Professor L. L. Sprague, Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Pa. 

“The ‘Essay on Milton ’and ‘Essay on Addison’ are exceedingly 
well edited, and in beauty of type and binding are not surpassed by 
similar works of any other publishing house.” 

B W. Hutchinson, Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, Lima, N. Y. 

“ I am in receipt of French’s ‘ Macaulay’s Essay on Milton,’ and am 
delighted with the book. The publisher’s part of the work deserves 
special mention as being exceptionally good, while the editor’s task 
appears to be done in first-class taste throughout.” 

Superintendent J. C. Simpson, Portsmouth, N. H. 

“ I congratulate you upon your happy combination of an artistic and 
scholarly book with a price that makes it easily available.” 


Comments on ^oeftet Series 


T. C. Blaisdell, Fifth Avenue Normal School, Pittsburg, Pa. 

“ I wish to thank you for a copy of ‘ The Princess,’ in your Pocket 
Series. I have examined the volume with pleasure. The introduction 
is excellent, the brief treatment of Tennyson’s Work and Art being 
especially interesting and helpful. The notes at times seem to explain 
the obvious ; in a book for young students, however, that is the safe side 
to err on. The editing, the clear type, the dainty binding, and the ‘ pocket ’ 
size combine to make the book one that will be a pleasure to the student.” 

Superintendent Wm. E. Chancellor, Bloomfield, N. J. 

“I have read from cover to cover the edition of ' Macaulay’s Essay 
on Addison,’ by Principal French, of Hyde Park High School, Chicago, 
and find the edition all that can be desired. The several introductions 
are, from my point of view, exactly what they ought to be. The notes 
seem to me particularly wise and helpful. Your edition is not only the 
best at its price, but it is better than every other which I have seen, and 
I have taken great pains to inform myself regarding all editions of 
English Classics for schools.” 

Francis A. Bagnall, Principal High School, St. Albans, Vt. 

“ They appeal to me as combining convenience and attractiveness of 
form and excellence of contents.” 

B. A. Heydrick, State Normal School, Millersville, Pa. 

“ I know of no edition that can compare with yours in attractiveness 
and cheapness. So far as I have examined it the editor’s work has been 
judiciously performed. But well-edited texts are easy to find : you have 
done something new in giving us a beautiful book, one that will teach 
pupils to love and care for books; and, which seems to me quite as 
important, you have made an edition which does not look ‘school- 
booky.’ ” 

Eliza M. Bullock, Principal Girls’ High School, Montgomery, Ala. 

” I think your books of the Pocket Series of English Classics the best 
I have seen, the most complete in every way. I am enthusiastic about 
the delightful volumes I have seen.” 

C. E. E. Mosher, Preparatory School, New Bedford, Mass. 

. “ Their outward form and dress are a pleasure to the eye, while theii 

inward matter and arrangement are a source of delight to the mind.” 


THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 


Works by Prof. E. H. LEWIS 

Of Lewis Institute and the University of Chicago 


A First Book in Writing English 

istno. Buckram. Price 8o cents 

Albert H. Smyth, Central High School, Philadelphia. 

“ I have read it carefully and am much pleased with the way the work 
has been dope. It is careful, thoughtful, and clearly arranged. The 
quotations are apt and judiciously selected. It is the best book of its 
size and scope that I am acquainted with.” 

Sarah V. Chollar, State Normal School, Potsdam, N. Y. 

” The author has made an admirable selection of topics for treatment 
in this book, and has presented them in a way that cannot fail to be 
helpful to teachers who have classes doing this grade of work." 


An Introduction to the Study of Literature 

For the use of Secondary and Graded Schools. 

i 2 mo. Cloth. Price $i.oo 

This book is a collection of short masterpieces of modern literature 
arranged in groups, each group interpreting sonie one phase of adolescent 
interest, e.g., “ The Athlete; ” ” The Heroism of War; ” “ The Heroism of 
Peace;" “The Adventurer;" ‘‘The Far Goal;” “The Morning Land- 
scape ; " “ The Gentleman ; " “ The Hearth.” A chronological table is 
given at the end of the book, by centuries and half centuries, showing at 
what age each author began to publish, and the name and date of his first 
book. The selections together form an anthology of English prose and 
verse, but it is more than an ordinary anthology; it is constructed so as to 
be of value not only to the scholar but also to the teacher and general 
reader. Each section is opened with a critical introduction which will 
serve as a guide both to teacher and student. 


THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

66 FIFTH AVENUE, HEW YORK 
















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